Make it Alright
by Bettakappa
Summary: Fame-ready Rachel leaves unmotivated Finn behind in Lima after graduation.  With some help from fate, they meet again.  They might have changed from their days at McKinley, but after all their history, can Finn be there for Rachel when she needs it most?
1. Chapter 1

**Make it Alright**

Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everybody! I've been reading fics on this site for a while, and I finally convinced myself that I should attempt one. There's been some pretty amazing stories, and even though this is probably nowhere near amazing, I hope you enjoy! Chapter 1 is a bit short, but hey, it's gotta start some where!**

**P.S. If you are a Finchel fan, the first guy name you read will scare you..._however_... take a deep breathe, and keep reading. Trust me :)**

**Ok, I'm going to stop talking now, and let you read.**

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Chapter 1

Clouds draped over the Seattle airport, a usual sight for the locals, and a slightly alarming view for the tourists who rarely roamed the Seattle streets. There was a dreary, slow, depressing cloud that somehow made its way into the structure and draped itself around every traveler. Rain was imminent, and you could tell.

Rachel was dragged through security, careful not to make any eye-contact with the visibly bored and annoyed guards. After slinging her purse haphazardly over her shoulder, she surveyed the mob of people for her boyfriend. Following a small hop over the crowd, she was able to spot Jesse starting to walk away from the bench area. She slid through the labyrinth of travelers and let out a large sigh when she latched onto the back of Jesse's leather jacket.

"Thanks for waiting." She breathed from behind him.

"Yeah, well." He replied, bitterness dripping from his tongue.

"Jesse, seriously what the heck is wrong with you? You've been acting like a jerk ever since we got here." Rachel snapped back.

"Calm down. I just…let's just get this over with, okay?"

"Get what 'over with', were suposed to be on vacation." She asked, slightly confused.

"Yeah, longest vacation of my life already." Jesse let slide from his mouth.

"Alright Jesse." Rachel brought her voice almost to a scream as the couple paced to luggage claim. She could feel the tears coming, but she fought through them. "I'm not having the greatest time either. I mean, why are we even in Seattle? You haven't told me a single ion of information about this trip, and to be quite honest, you seem to have changed a lot recently, and this new, snappy Jesse isn't some one I want to spend ten minutes with, let alone a whole week."

With that little speach, Jesse stopped in the middle of the jet stream of travelers, causing a huge build-up of people. Realizing the commotion they were causing, he forcefully grabbed Rachel's arm and pulled her through the people, into a deserted loading area.

"Yeah Rachel? Is that how you feel?" Jesse muttered through his clenched teeth. "Well I guess it's kind of funny that I can't stand you anymore either. You're ungrateful, talkative, spoiled, and annoying, and I don't need, or want you around me anymore. I'm positive there are plenty of women around here that rightfully deserve this." He finished as he pointed to himself. After starring his girlfriend in the eye for a whole second, he turned around and yelled, "Have a nice life." And with that, Jesse St. James disappeared into the ever present mob of people. Rachel blinked at the crowd, trying to process the events that just transpired. Unsurprisingly, the tears began to crawl down her face. She knew that he was gone, Jesse didn't joke around. She had no idea where she was going to go, she didn't want to think about that now, so she slowly slid down the wall, and did the only thing she could. She cried.

After some time, Jesse felt a large body slide down next to her. It was a man, she knew and immediately her body tensed up. Maybe it was Jesse, or it was some dangerous guy her dad's always warned her about who was ready to kidnap her. Either way, she was about to murmer "leave me alone" until the man beat her filling the silence.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" He kindly asked. Rachel felt at chill run through her body at the strangley familiar voice, but just let it pass. She chuckled a bit at the man's simple approach, and looked up. Tears flooded her eyes, and after wiping her eyes clear, her slight smile was frozen.

"Finn?" she asked. The man's lips curled into the unmistakable smile that belonged to none other than Finn Hudson.

"Hey Rach."


	2. Chapter 2

"Finn? Wha...uhmm...how…." As Rachel continued her placement of random vowels, Finn's illuminating grin faded into a look of pure concern.

"Rach, calm down and please, tell me what happened."

"Jesse, he…." And before she could continue her explanation, Finn kind of understood, swallowed hard, and stopped her.

"You know what, how about you tell me later. There are more important things to focus on now, like how you're getting home."

"Um…Jesse and I shared an apartment in L.A. Even though that's where all my belongings are, I'm pretty sure I don't live there anymore because, well…." Rachel replied slowly and closed her eyes before the tears could fall.

Finn carefully watched Rachel, and it was heartbreaking. She was always so strong, so independent, so sure of herself. All Finn saw now was a broken down, stepped-on, vulnerable Rachel. He would win liar of the year if he said he didn't have feelings for her after all this time, but he couldn't just kiss her and make all her problems, his problems, and _their _problems go away. Finn Hudson was a grown-up, he had matured, and he knew that he had to put Rachel's well-being before their problems, and his unsettled feelings.

So he lowered his large hands to clutch Rachel's shoulders, and with the most gentle shake he said, "Hey, look at me." Rachel sniffled and slowly raised her head until her eyes locked with Finn's. For a moment, he got lost in her deep, glistening eyes. He mentally shook himself out of their endless gaze with an over exaggerated blink and continued, "Let's get you back to L.A."

"Finn, Jesse left with my ticket, and I don't have enough money to buy a plane ticket back….home." Her voice shrunk at the word 'home', as Finn realized that she truly had no home.

"Hey, listen. I live in L.A. too, I'm heading home now. I'll buy another ticket for you, no problem."

"Finn, I can't ask you to do that."

"You don't have to."

And at that, their eyes locked again, only this time the lock was heavy duty, and virtually unbreakable. As he searched deeper into her eyes, Finn's mind was haunted with memories that he refused to open. The harder he tried to break from her eyes and rid himself of the memories, the more flooded his brain became. And like a car submerged in water, his windows shattered when he just couldn't take it anymore. Memories of picnics, kisses, parties, dinners, dates, and songs came rushing through his mind. His brain naturally bathed in the warm, loving memories that he had been rejecting for the past seven years. Her eyes were like a time machine as he watched them sing together, back when he was happy, when she was happy, when _they_ were happy.

Suddenly he felt the warmness and love ripped from his mind as he was reminded of the anger, the insecurities, the fight. Her eyes had changed the channel and were now showing their fight, the worst night of his life. He had to put an end to this _now. _Somehow he tore himself out of the labyrinth of her eyes and closed his. For five years, every time he thought of her, he was always reminded of that night. The one bad memory they shared overpowered every single other memory he made with her, and it was awful.

Back to reality, Finn looked back at Rachel. She knew _exactly _what he was thinking and went through the _exact _same thing. She decided to downplay it, and smiled back at him and mouthed a simple "Thank you." He grinned back and motioned with his head to follow her as they walked to the flight gate.

Rachel squirmed in her seat as she stared at Finn talking with a flight lady. Since high school, he had really changed, both mentally and physically. His hair was a little shorter, and his face was a bit more 'grown-up', but she could still see some of his old features that she secretly adored on his adult face. He was wearing black dress pants, dress shoes, and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Since it was a bit chilly, he wore a black sweater vest and you could see the top of his gray tie under it. Rachel tried to hold back a smile when she looked at him. Not only was he dressed sharp, but he had definitely put on some muscle since their McKinley days, and she had to admit, he looked good.

Her trance was interrupted when Finn returned to take a seat next to her. "There were no more seats for the 9:56 flight, but they did have a couple seats left for the 11:22 flight, so that's what I got." Rachel was a bit disappointed that she wasn't going to be flying with Finn, but she knew he was kind enough to forget all that they've been through, let alone _care_ whether she got home safe or not.

Since it was around 8:15, Rachel figured she'd tell Finn why he found her secluded in the Seattle airport, crying. Her description of the situation included some commentary from Finn, mostly profane words shot at Jesse, and although she jokingly reprimanded him for the language, she couldn't help but gush over her ex-boyfriend's hatred for her newest ex-boyfriend.

"Listen, Rach, none of that was your fault. St. James is just a….jerk…. for disrespecting you and abandoning you. He doesn't deserve any more of your time, or your tears." She smiled at that sincere comment that could only be delivered by Finn Hudson. He was right, Jesse was a….jerk….who she didn't need in her life, and he definitely didn't deserve anymore of her tears.

"ATTENTION… THE 9:56 FLIGHT FROM SEATTLE TO LOS ANGELES IS NOW BOARDING."

Rachel gulped and turned to face Finn to say goodbye and thank him for everything. What she found though, was Finn still absorbed in his sports magazine.

"Um…Finn, they called the 9:56 flight." She said as she lightly hit his arm.

"Yeah, so?" He said, looking up from his magazine.

"Isn't that your flight?" Rachel asked, getting more confused.

"No, we leave at 11:22. Did I forget to mention that?" He replied.

"No, no, I just thought you bought me an 11:22 ticket, and you were taking your 9:56 flight."

"Since there were no more seats on my plane, I traded in my ticket for an 11:22 flight, and bought you one too. We're gonna be seat buddies!" He said with an over-excited, playful voice. Rachel couldn't help but smile from ear to ear at that last statement.

"Why did you do that?"

"I didn't want you traveling alone."

Finn turned back into his magazine, as Rachel shifted into her seat. Her mind was exploding with admiration for her ex-boyfriend. He didn't want her traveling alone, what a sweet, kind gentleman.

Rachel and Finn knew that they had history, and some baggage that came with it, but that could be dealt with later. And they knew that they were struggling with individual problems and personal issues, but that could be dealt with later. Right now though, sitting in the airport, they knew they had each other, and they felt true happiness that they could _only _feel with each other.


	3. Chapter 3

Make It Alright

Chapter 3

**A/N: Here we go, Chapter 3! Thanks to all who read, and those who reviewed, I really appreciate it! This chapter we got some flashbacks going on, as well as some information on what Finn and Rachel have been up to. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Glee, or the U.S. Marines. **

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Finn took his seat next to Rachel after putting their carry-on's in the overhead compartment. When the plane took off, the plane ride was silent, but it wasn't an awkward silence. He noticed that Rachel was locked into her theater magazine, and smiled to himself. It was nice to know that some things would never change, like Rachel's passion for the arts.**

After staring at her for a little bit longer than necessary, Finn wondered whatever happened to Rachel. Okay, obviously she was alive and healthy because she was sitting right next to him, but what happened to the whole Broadway thing? It was her purpose in life, it was her dream. And, as he bitterly remembered, it was why he and Rachel were no longer 'Finn and Rachel'.

-_FLASHBACK-_

_They sat in the McKinley auditorium. Twenty minutes ago the venue had been packed as New Directions sang for the final time for their hometown with their Nationals trophy center stage. It was a bittersweet moment. They were champions…__**national**__ champions. They were truly a family, and were doing the one thing they did best…singing. On the negative side, it was the last time they would ever do this. In a week, Puck, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Mike, Artie, Tina, Sam, Mercedes, and Kurt would go their separate ways and in time, this family, their family would become just a memory. _

_Now in the auditorium, it was dark, empty and silent. Finn and Rachel sat side by side on the stage, wondering if __**they**__ would become just a memory. Rachel broke the silence first. "I can't believe we are graduating next week."_

"_I know." Finn said, agreeing with her._

"_Finn, what are you going to do after we leave?" Rachel questioned. Finn was graduating with their class, and she was very proud, but she knew that his grades weren't proficient enough to get into any college._

"_I…umm…was thinking I could move to New York with you. I could…uhhh…maybe get a job somewhere, you know?" He answered. Rachel smiled at just how much her boyfriend loved her, but she couldn't hide the worry in her face. It was going her hurt, but she knew this had to be done. _

"_Oh, Finn." She said as the tears began to fall. Finn scooted closer to put his hand on her leg. "I think we both know why that's not possible. New York rent is so expensive, and even with a job, there's no way you can afford that. I'm going to be so busy with studying and rehearsals; there won't be any time to be together. After college, I'll be in musicals and…there won't be any time for us either. I want this to work Finn, I really do, but I don't think it can…I don't think we can."_

_Finn was blank, tears forming in his own eyes. "Rachel, we won't be that far away…I can change…"_

_She interrupted him, "…and I hope you can someday. But Finn, music is so important to me. I need to follow my dreams, or I'll regret it for the rest of my life."_

_Finn nodded slowly, understanding what she meant. It would kill him if he knew he was holding her back from her dreams. His nodding became more frequent and reached in to hug his girlfriend for the last time. "I'm so sorry." She cried into his shoulder._

"_I know." He whispered back._

_-END FLASHBACK- _

"Hey Rach?"

Rachel looked up from her magazine, and looked at Finn to tell him she was listening.

"What do you do for a living?"

Rachel knew where this question was coming from. He must have remembered the whole 'I need to follow my dreams or I'll regret it' speech that ended their relationship. Finn had basically rescued her, so she knew she had to tell him the truth.

"After I graduated from NYU, I landed some chorus roles on Broadway. I thought that it would only be a matter of time before the lead roles came, but they never did." She swallowed and continued. "So, one day, enough was enough. I packed up my things and moved to Los Angeles, focused on acting. There, I...I was reunited with Jesse who had become a pretty successful producer. He set me up with some auditions, and…eventually we started dating."

"Again." Finn chimed in with a chuckle, reminiscing on their very crazy sophomore year of high school.

"Yes, again." Rachel replied back sadly.

"Hey, relax." Finn smiled, grabbing her hands. "I was just curious. Forget about Jesse. Like I said before…"

"He doesn't deserve me." Rachel finished for him.

"Exactly." Finn said, beaming at her. Rachel squeezed her and Finn's interlocked hands as a 'thank you' gesture.

"So!" Rachel perked up, causing Finn to jump a little. "What were you doing in Seattle? Business or pleasure?" She asked playfully.

Finn sported his half grin and replied "Just a_business _trip. Hence the tie."

Rachel thought it was a little bit funny that Finn just used the word 'hence', let alone, he even knew what it meant. It kind of showed how much he had grown up since high school.

"What do you do?" She asked, curious.

"I'm a First Sergeant in the United States Marines."

Rachel's mouth dropped. There weren't words to describe how shocked she was. She was amazed that Finn had kept his word and changed. He really grew up, got a career, and chose to defend his country. She acted on impulse and shifted in her seat to give her Marine a huge hug.

"I'm so proud of you." She murmured into his shirt.

Finn pulled her back up to eye-level and looked her straight in the eyes as he said, "I know."


	4. Chapter 4

Make It Alright

Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, Chapter 4! Once again, big thanks to everyone who reviewed, subscribed, favorite, or even just read; it all makes my day! How about some car-ride singing and a visit to Finn's house anyone? Not the longest chapter, but hope you enjoy!**

Rachel was extremely excited when she entered LAX from the plane. Not that she didn't enjoy the ride with Finn (because she definityl did), it's just that Rachel Berry needed _serious_ space. Plus, she felt very, very happy to be back home in California. She stepped to the side to wait for Finn to come out of the plane because, being the gentleman he was, he let several people exit ahead of him. Her eyes finally caught his face, and he looked equally happy.

"Okay, so thankfully we don't have to go to baggage claim since both our bags were carry-on. That means we can just grab something to eat and head to my place. Sound good?" Finn asked as he approached her.

"Sounds great." Rachel replied with a smile.

After their quick lunch break, the two found their way to Finn's car. Finn carefully threw both their bags in his trunk and briskly walked to the passenger door to open it for Rachel. Rachel felt the blush coming on, and beamed at Finn. He flashed her his half-grin in return and hopped into the driver's seat.

Finn mentioned that his house was about twenty minutes away and naturally he turned on the radio. About five minutes into the ride, familiar chords instantly flooded the sports car. Finn's heart dropped, and he glanced over to see Rachel frozen in her seat.

Finn had been playing it smooth this entire time. Other than the 'getting lost in her eyes' incident, he kept his cool and did not mention their past, or show any emotion about it at all. Now he sat, palms sweating on the wheel as he raced through his mind, searching for a way, any way, to not break down.

Rachel stared, eyes locked straight ahead. As slowly as she could, she turned her head to peak at Finn. . Finn had been acting like _nothing_ had happened. No baby-gate, no 'inner-rockstar', no slushies, no Jesse, no Regional loss, no Nationals, no graduation, no New York, no break-up, no Jesse round 2, no _years_. He looked exactly the way she felt. And now with this song, she saw that Finn remembered, and that he was hurting too. Rachel realized that Finn had literally saved her from her airport situation, paid for her ticket home, and comforted her. Now, it was her turn to help him. So Rachel Berry did the best thing that Rachel Berry could do, and picked up with her verse.

"_Restless hearts_

_ Sleep alone tonight_

_ Sending all my love along the wire" _

Finn heard Journey's classic melody mix with the most amazing voice he had ever heard. He almost had forgotten how incredible Rachel sang, how much he loved hearing her sing. His body relaxed as he soaked up the lyrics. He joined in with her, savoring how absolutely _perfect_ their voices blended. They poured their hearts out with every word, and when the song ended, the two panted with joy. Finn was the first to speak.

"We still got it."

"Yeah Finn, yeah we do."

The car ride eased up after that. The next ten or so minutes Finn and Rachel spent screaming the radio's next selection without a care in the world. The music abrubtly ended, and Rachel turned her head to look out the front window. Finn's house was stone with two stories, and had stones leading to the front door. While she was taking in the house, her door was opened by a grinning Finn. Finn took her hand to help her out of his car, and he shivered at the contact. He quickly shook it off, and waltzed to the trunk. As his head emerged from the trunk, he saw Rachel skip up to the door. He couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked. Again, attempting to shake these feelings away, Finn approached the door and opened it to an eager-looking Rachel.

"Welcome to the Hudson household, Rach." He said with the smile he just couldn't get rid of.

**END A/N: Yeah, weird place to end it. I have a plan for next chapter though, so this ending needed to happen. Okay, I usually don't do this, I know, but I just need to vent for a bit. First off, hope you liked it, that review button is just calling your name, right? **

**The Super bowl episode was good. And I only say 'good' because I am a huge Steeler fan, and in our area Glee came on at 11:45 (after post-game stuff), plus the fact that I was extremely depressed, let's just say I wasn't in my normal Glee-watching mindset. And the Tuesday episode was pretty good. I loved everyone's faces when Puck was singing to Lauren! I was, however, extremely disturbed by the amount of Finn/Quinn and how terribly cocky Finn was acting. And a final side note: if Santana and Sam get together, they should be called "Samtana" :D That is all!**


	5. Chapter 5

Make It Alright Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, Chapter five has arrived. Anyone up for a trip to Jesse St. James' house? On we go!**

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The two were now unwinding after a _long_ afternoon that neither one was expecting to experience. Finn was awkwardly lying on the couch with one foot over the cushions, squinting at his phone. Rachel propped herself on the recliner and was perusing the entertainment section of the newspaper. At any other moment she would have been completely relaxed in the cozy living room, but something was still bothering her.

It had been about an hour since Rachel and Finn arrived home. Finn had been kind enough to put Rachel's carry-on (the only bag that she had) into his guest room as Rachel got acquainted with her new quarters.

"Finn." Rachel said out of the blue.

Finn snapped his neck toward her and responded, "Huh?"

"The rest of my stuff is at my….Jesse's place."

Finn started to get up from the couch, instantly understanding her problem, and began, "Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that, let me just get my keys…"

Rachel didn't want to impose on his relaxation time, so she interrupted, "Seriously, Finn, it's like two blocks away. I'll just walk over and grab…"

As she was talking, she scanned the living room for Finn, but he wasn't there. She heard a faint jingle sound down the hall, and Finn emerged displaying his car keys for her. "Nope. Let's go."

Rachel smiled at Finn's dedication to her and his compassion. The more generous he was being, the harder it was for her not to fall for him again. Not only did he look adorable and handsome, he was being ridiculously sweet to someone who had hurt him so bad. Rachel knew, however, that she was pretty screwed up right now. Jesse had messed her up, no matter how much she tried to hide it. It was only hours after he abandoned her and she needed time to work past the anger, depression, and hurt he had caused her. Only then, she decided, could she pay attention to her possible feelings for Finn.

Happy with her new plan, Rachel bounced up from the recliner. She put her hand on Finn's forearm as she exited the house and glanced up at him as a silent 'thank you'. Finn matched the smile she was wearing and locked up the house.

The duo was cruising down the street with the radio casually playing in the background. Finn couldn't believe that he was on his way to the home of Jesse St. James.

_St. James _Finn thought bitterly. He couldn't believe that Rachel had gone back to that…guy. After everything he did to her in high school. He _cracked an egg on her head _for goodness sake. How could she fall back to him like that?

'_What was she doing when she came to you?'_ A voice in his head blurted out. Shaken by the comment, Finn began to consider it. As much as it pained him to say it, that random voice was right. When Rachel came to him in high school, Finn had hurt her too. He slushied her a few times before he got to know her, he kissed her and _really _led her on, and then he left her to go 'find his inner-rock star'. Why did she come back to him after Jesse round one?

"That one." Rachel blurted out as they were driving down the road. Finn was shaken out of his thoughts quickly came to a halt and turned into the white town house.

Naturally, Finn went over to open the door for Rachel. But she wouldn't get out of the car. The girl just sat there, staring at nothing ahead. Finn looked down at her, and she looked _terrified._ He wanted to magically tell her that he was going to be there for her, and that he always would. Then it hit him.

After Jesse round one, she had gone to him because she knew he would be there for her. She knew him. She knew that all the hurtful things he had done were just because of his insecurities and his need for popularity. She knew that he had the inner strength to help himself overcome, and be less concerned with popularity, and more confident in himself. She knew that he needed her as much as she needed him. And she was right. And now here they stood. Finn was a confident Marine, standing at the feet of Rachel Berry in the aftermath of Jesse round two. Only this time, she didn't go to him, he came to her. Fate had brought them together because it was his turn to help her. She needed him as much as he needed her.

Why did he need her this time? Finn thought to himself. '_It's because you're alone, Hudson.'_ As aggravated as Finn was becoming at this random voice in his head, the dude was two for two. Finn was alone. Sure, he was kind of wealthy, had a great job, great place, and lived in southern California, but he had no one to share it with.

After he came back from combat training, Finn had enough money and moved to Los Angeles. He left his mom, Burt, Mr. Schue, and Ohio behind because all his life he heard that Finn Hudson was practically the definition of a Lima loser. He needed to prove to himself and everybody else that he would do something with his life, and L.A. was the perfect place for a fresh start.

But with his new direction, he had also left his New Directions. Puck and Quinn stayed in Ohio together. Kurt and Mercedes had gone to New York to pursue their fashion dreams. Mike, Brittany, Tina, and Artie left for the sunshine of Florida, and footballer Sam and cheerleader Santana decided that their future was in Texas. So basically, everyone he cared about was in a separate corner of the country.

But here was Rachel Berry, his real first love, appearing all of a sudden in L.A., back in his life. He had heard somewhere that some people are meant to stay in your life while others are just meant to make an appearance. And right there, in Jesse St. James' driveway, Finn Hudson decided that Rachel Berry was meant to stay in his life, and he was going to do everything in his power to keep it that way.

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**A/N: Okay there you have it! Next chapter will be the actual act of going in the house :) **

**Reviews are always welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6

MIA Chapter 6

**A/N: Wow, chapter 6 already! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, it keeps this story going. I honestly don't know what's going to happen in this chapter, I'm going to write as I think. But let's just go with it, okay? Okay. **

**Disclaimer: Glee is not, repeat, **_**not**_** mine.**

They stood at the door. Yes, that's the normal protocol for going into a house, but just how long had they been standing at the door? A solid five minutes. Finn was inspecting the porch while she stared at the door, but he didn't want to push Rachel, so he continued wandering around. Suddenly, the petite brunette next to him let out a dramatic exhale. No push needed, he decided.

"Okay, let's do this." Rachel stated. Even though Rachel had directed the comment to the door, Finn responded with a firm head nod.

Rachel reached out to the cold bronze handle that sent her body into shock when she touched it. Her wrist pivoted to open the door…but it wouldn't budge. She could hear Finn giggling in the background at her attempt to open an obviously locked door. She shot him a death glare, and he couldn't help but return it with a grin, reminiscing on the infinite amount of death glares he had received from Rachel in high school.

But Rachel Berry quickly composed herself and said "Well, Mr. Hudson, I understand that this is quite humorous, however I'll have you know that there is a spare key right….."

"Here" Finn finished her sentence as he waved a small silver key in front of her face. Rachel was flabbergasted, to say the least.

"How….when…." Rachel mumbled incoherently.

"Rach, I'm a Marine. We can track down practically anything." He simply stated, ended his sentence with a smile.

And his charm had obviously worked because Rachel's lips had curved into a smile as well. "Give me that." She said as she swiped the key from his fingers.

This time the door opened, and the duo slowly entered the house. Finn was taking in Rachel's former quarters, and didn't notice the enormous pile of….everything….that was plopped in front of him. Rachel grabbed the wrinkled sheet of paper that topped the mound. Finn glanced over at Rachel, whose eyes were racing across the page and noticed that they were slowly filling up with tears. He moved to stand behind her, hoping that she would appreciate the comfort he was providing. She relaxed back into his body and moved the paper so he could read why there were tears in her eyes.

_Rachel,_

_If you have somehow found you're way back to Los Angeles, I expect that this will be your destination. If you think that you can sit here until my return, and I will take you back with open arms, think again. Although I'm sure you are still upset over my disappearance in your life, I will have you know that I have moved on and am happily starting a new chapter of my life where you are not involved. I understand that your belongings are here, so I took the liberty of assembling them for you. This should make your move out of my house very simple and quick. Take your things, leave your key on the counter and lock up with the spare key. Do that, and there will be no questions and no issues. However, if you are here when I return, Rachel, there __will__ be problems._

_No longer yours,_

_Jesse St. James_

The Rachel Berry waterfalls were in full effect now, and Finn engulfed her in a giant Finn-sized hug. The blood in his body had been replaced by anger. "What a….jerk." Finn said into Rachel's hair. Rachel found herself laughing at Finn's childish word choice, knowing that he would have used a less appropriate word had she not been there. She tapped his back with her hands as the embrace ended.

"Your right, let's just get my stuff out of here."

Normally, Rachel Berry would have folded and organized every last sock, but let's face it, she just _really _wanted to get out of here and back into Finn's warm, welcoming home. Rachel loaded various items into Finn's large arms. As he wobbled out of the house, he 'accidently' stepped on the letter from Jesse that had found a home on the floor. "Oops." Finn said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He heard Rachel giggle as he exited the house. As he walked back in from the car, he saw Rachel stomp over the letter as he had done. Her eyes met his, and he gave her a thumbs-up, to which she responded with a mega-watt smile.

After about three trips from the foyer to the car, Finn and Rachel found themselves standing where the pile had once rested.

"Wow. I can't believe I lived in here for two years, and after today I'll never be in this house again." She quietly said.

Finn picked up the shoe-print-covered letter as he said "Yeah, I know it's weird, but think of it this way. You'll never be in this house again." She laughed at his comment as he continued talking.

"Jesse's a jerk." He said as he ripped the paper in half to Rachel's surprise.

"He's mean." He said as he ripped the paper again.

"He's selfish." Another rip.

"He's rude, ignorant, annoying, terrible, and someone that you _definitely_ don't need in your life."

By this time, the letter was now confetti spread in Finn's hands.

"And Rachel." Finn said, looking directly into her eyes. "After today you will never, ever, be affected by Jesse St. James again. And that, my friend, calls for a celebration!" He finished as he threw the letter-confetti in the air, letting it flutter down onto Finn and Rachel's heads and all over the hardwood floor.

"He can clean this up." Rachel said with a smile plastered on her face. She wrapped her arm around Finn's waist as he returned the favor with an arm over her shoulder. They exited the house, and were on their way home.

Rachel was laughing, heart pumping at the lengths Finn went to make her smile. It was quiet in the car, but neither of them minded. She was deep in thought. This afternoon she had pledged that she could only pay attention to her bubbling feelings for Finn after she got over Jesse. And to be quite honest, that trip to Jesse's house was _exactly_ what she needed. There was no more anger, depression, or hurt. Rachel bit her lip as she let the thought enter her. Was it possible that after _a day_ she was over her two year relationship?

Then she looked over to the gorgeous man that was sharing his home with her. He did this. He made her feel welcome, and safe, and happy. She leaned her head against the head rest at her revelation, smile on her face. She had gotten over her two year relationship in one day. Yeah, Finn Hudson could do that to you.


	7. Chapter 7

MIA Chapter 7

* * *

Rachel Berry didn't usually act on impulse. Everything and I mean everything she did involved strategic planning with her goals being the foundation of the plans. But here she was, with a car full of her possessions, in a car with Finn Hudson, driving back to his…_their_…house. Planned? No, not exactly.

But after her recent revelation, the highschool-er in Rachel Berry started scheming, and as it turned out, her current situation put her in the perfect position for her ideal situation. Out of the graciousness of his heart, she lived with him now. That's pretty much the maximum you can be around someone, right? She watched the houses race by from her view in the car as her brain fired off romantic ideas for Operation Get Finn Back.

A sudden whistling sound shook her out of her daze for a second, and she turned to see what was causing her precious scheming seconds to go by. It was Finn. He was whistling while tapping the steering wheel to the beat. The top of his hair was being pushed by the California wind that escaped through the cracked window. He looked ridiculously relaxed. She was spending her precious seconds scheming, while he was spending his precious seconds simply spending his precious seconds.

Finn was now enjoying life, something that Rachel could only _say _she was doing. He had grown up. He dropped everything to help his ex-girlfriend when she needed it most, despite their livid past. He had changed. Like she wanted him to. But she hadn't changed a bit. She was sitting here, plotting her next move, all in the grand scheme of getting her way. Like she always did. So, in the reflection of their current state of affairs, and had a second revelation in that car ride. If Finn Hudson had changed, so could she. No more planning, plotting, or conspiring. Things with Finn were going to work out if things with Finn were supposed to work out. And as she looked over and the adorable man driving her home, she _really_ hoped fate was on her side.

After a car ride that produced _two_ life-changing revelations, Rachel Berry couldn't wait to just go inside and rest. She grabbed an armful her clothes from the back seat and hopped upstairs to the guest room. Finn retrieved the Saturday mail that had arrived while they were gone and slid back into his couch. Amongst the bills and magazines, something caught his eye. The envelope's date was from two months ago, which probably meant it had been lost in the mail. There was no indication of who the letter was from, and that just made his curiosity grow. What was concealed in the cream colored envelope was a neat rectangular card. There were a lot of fancy words and designs on it, but the only thing Finn picked up on was the message it contained.

You and a guest are cordially invited to the most holy matrimony of

William Shuester and Emma Pillsbury

Finn scanned down the card and his eyes found the date. It only confirmed that his invitation had gotten lost in the mail process because his teacher's wedding was in two weeks. Finn gathered up the card and envelope and skipped up the stairs. He walked down the hallway and found that the door of his destination was wide open. Although he took that as a sign to come in, he slowly poked his head through the doorway. Rachel was propped up in her bed typing on her computer that they had rescued from St. James' house this afternoon.

Finn tried to keep his smile contained as he took in the sight. Ever since he decided that he wanted to be with Rachel again, everything she did made him smile like an idiot. She was just laying there, looking as gorgeous as ever in sweatpants and reading glasses, and Finn couldn't help but crack a half grin. Right on cue, she looked up and returned his smile.

"Finn! Come on in, what do you need?"

"Oh, um…hey Rach." He said as he entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "I just got this invitation to Mr. Shue and Miss Pillsbury's wedding."

"You just got that now? Isn't the wedding in like….two weeks?"

"Yeah, well mine got lost in mail world somewhere and it just arrived today." He replied.

"My dads said they got an initiation for all three of us a couple months ago, but I had to decline because I was supposed to be on vacation with Jesse for two weeks." She strongly stated.

"I guess it's your lucky day then." Finn said with an idea forming in his head.

"And why would that be, Mr. Hudson?" Rachel asked with a sly smile on her face.

"Well, Miss Berry, I currently have no guest to accompany me to this wedding." He said in a fancy tone of voice that made her laugh.

"If only there was someone who could go with you." She said, going along with it.

"Could that someone be _you?_" He finally asked.

Despite years of agonizing acting classes, Rachel Berry could not stay in character at that moment. A dangerously bright smile erupted from her face as she composed herself to answer.

"I would love to."

* * *

**A/N: Well, there it is. Not much going on in this chapter, but it sets the next one up perfectly…trust me. Hope you enjoyed it, and keep the fantastic reviews coming, I love each and every one of them.**

**Now for my weekly Glee blabbering. This week's episode wasn't my favorite, but it was pretty good. However, my favorite part of the whole episode was Kurt/Sue where Kurt was like "Umm..we aren't in cahoots." Hilarious. **


	8. Chapter 8

MIA Chapter 8

* * *

It was the weekend before the Schuester/Pillsbury wedding. Finn stood in front of his closet, staring at the nearly bare space. Normally, he would have just worn a random, wrinkled shirt with a crooked tie, but in case you forgot, Finn had one very special date to this wedding. Rachel walked into his room, holding a basket of clothes. When she was welcomed into the Hudson household, Rachel immediately took over in the 'household chore' department. Finn found it so strange that she actually _enjoyed_ doing laundry and dishes, but he wasn't complaining.

After he completed his combat training, Finn was sent overseas for four years. He moved up in rank rather quickly and found himself one of the leaders of the 1st Marine Regiment. Once he came back to the States, Finn was stationed at the commanders of the Marines upgraded Finn to First Sergeant because of his courageous and valiant time in the Middle East. As a First Sergeant, Finn was stationed at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside where he trained and mentored young men into strong, proud Marines. Finn absolutely loved his job and the flexibility, but Oceanside was about an hour away from L.A. Normally, he stayed at the base every couple of nights to avoid the long drive, but with Rachel at his house, he didn't want to leave her alone.

So, to Finn, the house chores were always much appreciated. Rachel set the clean clothes down on the bed, noticing Finn's lack of movement. "Hey…what are you doing?"

Finn shook out of his clothes trance and turned around to face her. He was about to say something, but lost all audible words as soon as his eyes met her. Rachel was wearing yoga pants that hugged her fit legs perfectly, and a simple white v-neck shirt.

He managed to mumble out "Umm…I…was deciding what I was gonna wear to Mr. Schue's wedding."

She giggled a bit, and Finn immediately blushed, "You're choosing your outfit?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, I'm a Marine, so I don't wear shirts and ties very often."

Rachel walked over him, "Oh, well don't you have like a formal uniform?" She wondered.

"Well, yeah, but I had to return mine so they could sew my new rank patch on." He answered.

Rachel moved to stand beside Finn, and put her hand gently on his broad back. Finn was sure she felt his back tense up at the contact. "Well, we move to plan B. What about that white dress shirt you wore at the airport?"

Finn was shocked that she even remembered his outfit, but little did he know Rachel found him completely gorgeous in that shirt. "That would be an option, but remember I spilt ketchup all over it." He mumbled his face red again from blushing.

Rachel laughed at the memory, "Yes, I remember that now. Oh, Mr. Hudson, what are we going to do with you?" She playfully asked. Finn shrugged and released his half-grin in reply, while Rachel silently died inside.

"I think we have no other choice but to…go shopping." She whispered.

"You're kidding." Finn whined.

Rachel began to scratch up and down Finn's back lightly, "Finn, I know how much you hate the mall, but you need a shirt…and a jacket." She said. Finn naturally moved his arm to drape it around her shoulders. With a sigh he said, "Alright, but we're definitely hitting the food court." Rachel rolled her eyes, and smiled as they left Finn's room, arms locked around each other.

It had been about a half hour since they arrived at the mall. Finn was happily in possession of a hot pretzel, and followed Rachel as she searched through the large selection of dress shirts. She turned and said, "Finn. If we buy this white shirt, promise me you won't spill ketchup or any other substance on it." Finn swallowed and said, "Okay, yeah, but why are you getting white?" Rachel picked up a shirt and said, "Because you look very good in white" before turning and walking towards the jackets. Finn stood there, motionless, unsure he heard her correctly. Did Rachel just say he looked good in white? If that were the case, he pledged to wear white every single day for the rest of his life. Shaking out of his thoughts, Finn scurried over to his housemate, who he was falling in love with all over again.

The jacket selection process hadn't been too painful, much to Finn's pleasure. They ended up selecting a sharp black one and headed toward the empty checkout line. There was an elderly woman mending the register and smiled when Rachel and Finn came walking towards her. After Finn had paid for his things, the woman couldn't help but say, "My goodness, you two look so happy." Finn and Rachel just beamed at each other. The lady continued, "You know what? You remind me of my husband and me when we were young." Finn and Rachel thanked the elderly lady with bright smiles and walked out of the store.

As they were walking to the car, their hands finally, _accidentally _rubbed against the others'. Now it is uncertain as to who initiated it, but somehow, a second later, their hands were intertwined as they strolled down the road.

Finn and Rachel didn't look at each other during the whole walk to the car. Any emotions they were feeling didn't need to be spoken at the moment. Right now, their hands said enough. When they had to split up to reach their respective car doors, Finn squeezed Rachel's hand before letting it slip out of his. Now that his hand was empty, he felt empty, and now that her hand was empty, she felt empty. So as soon as they were fastened into the car, Finn reached his free hand over, joining it in Rachel's, and suddenly, they didn't feel so empty anymore.

**A/N: Alright, there you have it! Some much needed Finchel, am I right? Next chapter is the wedding, and I promise I'll have it up ASAP. Keep up the great reviews, they truly make my day :) **


	9. Chapter 9

MIA Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Glee belongs to FOX and Ryan Murphy, and NBC belongs to…NBC I guess.

Rachel's eyes gradually flickered open to meet the blaring alarm clock that caused them to open in the first place. She released her arm from the warm interior of her bed in order to silence the darn thing. Although she absolutely loved waking up early, today was different. It was Monday, the day she was to return to work.

Thanks to Jesse, she had landed a minor role on the NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives. While she wasn't originally a fan of the show, she had grown to really enjoy daytime acting. The rehearsal and shooting times were fast paced, just the way she liked, and the cast was extremely nice. Although she wasn't a 'main' character, the directors put her in wherever they could. Right now, Rachel was playing a woman who worked at the Salem Police Department. She had a couple lines, which was great, but she couldn't help but envy the main actors who had their own soap-y story lines.

She rolled out of her bed and threw on some jeans and a shirt because she knew she would be redressed as soon as she got to the set. Rachel made sure to grab her script that was laying on the nightstand before she went downstairs. To her surprise (and pleasure), Finn was plopped on one of the bar stools in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

Ever since the whole 'holding hands' incident, things had been extremely flirtatious between the two of them. They definitely weren't 'official' yet, but the way things had been going, it was only a matter of time before they were. It had to be, Rachel thought, because all she had to do was just _look_ at him and her heart felt like it was going to detonate…in a really, really good way, of course.

"Hey, there, Rach" Finn said with a bright smile. He was dressed his short-sleeved service uniform, ready to report to the base. Rachel smiled back, trying to control the blush that was rapidly taking over her face.

"Good Morning, Finn. Heading to work so early?" She asked.

"Nah, not really. I just wanted to be up and ready before you left for your big day in Salem," he said. Rachel looked at him, "You know what Salem is?"

"Um...yeah. I never told you this, but back in high school every day after school, my mom would have me record Days for her so she could watch it when she came home from work. Every couple days I would catch bits and parts of it, and before you know it, I knew all of the characters and the storylines, and watched it almost every day."

"Is that why you told me you were always busy from three to four?" She wondered.

"Umm...maybe." Finn said innocently.

"Oh my goodness, Finn, that is unbelievable!" Rachel giggled, "You…watched Days of Our Lives."

Finn grinned and walked towards her, "Oh, okay, let's make fun of Finn, I see how it is."

Rachel rolled her eyes as he came closer and said, "I'm not making fun of you, you baby, I just think it's cute."

Finn just stared at Rachel with a contagious smirk, "Cute?"

"Yeah, cute."

At this point, their bodies were millimeters apart, both with sweat resting on their foreheads in response to their dangerous closeness. Finn's head began to dip down and Rachel leaned up to ultimately meet his. Then her phone rang. They remained frozen for a second, until Rachel shook away to answer the potentially important phone call. Finn wiped the sweat off his head and closed his fist as she scrambled to pick up her phone.

"_You have got to be kidding me, the freaking phone rang!"_ Finn thought to himself. But hey, isn't that how those moments usually ended? Rachel paced back into the room and quietly said, "That was one of the crew. They're shooting an extra scene today, so they want me to come in a little early to go over the whole schedule."

Finn nodded and shot her a small smile. She returned it apologetically and rubbed his arm as she headed toward the door. "See you tonight."

Rachel sauntered to her car. She had left her car in a garage while she was on vacation with Jesse, and had picked it up a couple days ago. While she loved driving everywhere with Finn, it was definitely necessary to have her own car. As soon as she was buckled in, she banged her head against the headrest and sighed. Rachel started to pull out of the driveway, and stopped instantly as she saw Finn dart through the door. She got out of the car and rushed up to him.

"Finn, what's wrong?"

He had a determined look on his face and after a few moments of panting said, "I didn't say goodbye."

Rachel stood there, motionless, trying to comprehend what just happened. Had Finn really broke through the door just to say goodbye? Boy, was he something else.

"It's alright, Finn, I just kind of rushed out."

"No, no, I need to do this." He replied.

Rachel raised her eyebrows at Finn's cryptic words, "Need to do what?"

Without any sort of warning, Finn plunged his lips onto hers. Rachel was sure her mind exploded for a split second and as she tried to recover, it hit her. She was kissing Finn Hudson, right now. So she reached her hand up to his face and added electricity to the already passionate kiss. After a glorious minute or two, they broke apart, transmitting their emotions through their eyes as they stared at each other. Did it feel like fireworks? No, not even close. There were no words to rationally begin to explain how truly _incredible_ it was.

Finally, the coveted half smile arose from Finn's face. He rubbed his hand against Rachel's cheek and said, "That."

**A/N: How about it, two chapters in two days! Those wonderful reviews you guys left really inspired me to keep on going! I know I said that this would be the wedding chapter, but this idea just would not go away Keep the reviews up, you know how much I love them!**


	10. Chapter 10

MIA Chapter 10

It had been exactly two hours and three minutes since the kiss happened. Rachel knew, she was keeping track. When she wasn't thinking about the grueling minutes that she and Finn were spending apart, the scene was on repeat in her mind.

_She was kissing Finn Hudson, right now. So she reached her hand up to his face and added electricity to the already passionate kiss. After a glorious minute or two, they broke apart, transmitting their emotions through their eyes as they stared at each other. Did it feel like fireworks? No, not even close. There were no words to rationally begin to explain how truly incredible it was. Finally, the coveted half smile arose from Finn's face. He rubbed his hand against Rachel's cheek and said, "That."_

Directly after that moment, Rachel took a whole four seconds to re-compose herself. She quickly checked to make sure her heart was in its default position and took some much-needed oxygen into her feeble body. Finn noted that Rachel did not look well…at all. He tensed up and quickly said,

"Rachel, oh my goodness, I shouldn't have done that. I totally forgot about our past, and Jesse and you probably aren't ready for me, I mean if you ever are ready, because you don't have to be, it's your call of course, I mean, I like you…like a lot, and I just…." Rachel, who leaned up and kissed his moving mouth, silenced Finn's apologetic babbling. It was pure irony that Finn was the one who wouldn't stop talking. Finn felt Rachel's lips form a smile against his, and as the smile grew, his worries vanished.

"Don't be sorry for that. Don't _ever_ be sorry for doing that." Rachel said as they parted.

Finn smiled slightly, "You just seemed so…spooked."

"This is going to sound extremely cliché." She said, face growing red.

"At least it didn't take you a good nineteen years to finally grasp what cliché meant," Finn interrupted.

"True," she shyly smiled and continued, "Well, that kiss, it took my breath away. And I almost mean that literally."

A wave of pride crashed over Finn and a cocky little grin popped on his face. "I guess I'm just that good." He jokingly said, hoping to make her cute embarrassment disappear.

Rachel moved closer and playfully hit his chest. Rolling her eyes she said, "Oh, please."

Finn wrapped his arms around her waist, and she immediately positioned hers on his shoulders. They stood like that, in his driveway (still), peacefully and silently for a few moments.

"I missed you." He stated. Rachel stopped fiddling with the hair on the back of his head and put one hand on his chin. She guided it to her face and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I missed you, too."

Moreover, here she was, sitting in her dressing room, two hours and six minutes after that glorious moment. Normally she loved her time at work, but her current eagerness to leave had nothing to do with Days of our Lives. All she wanted to do was get home and see her boyfriend. Boyfriend. Was that what Finn was?

_ Of course he's my boyfriend; we kissed like twenty times in the driveway. _She thought to herself. _No, that doesn't mean anything. _Another part of her reasoned. _Well he admitted he liked me, a lot, so that's practically dating, right? Well, I probably wouldn't call him my boyfriend in front of someone, so what does that mean?_

This internal struggle continued for a while, and Rachel was driving herself absolutely insane. All of a sudden her phone danced and hit her arm. She stopped the vibration with the click of a button and read the incoming text message.

** From: Finn Hudson**

** Just wondering if my girlfriend would care to join me for dinner tonight **

Okay, well that answers that.

Rachel read over the thirteen-word message thirteen more times. She silently, but audibly, squealed every time her eyes arrived at the words 'my girlfriend'. She was so engulfed in the beautiful words that she almost forgot to type a reply. She stared at the blank slate, trying to formulate her excitement into words, without sounding too crazy.

**From: Rachel Berry**

** It would be my pleasure ;) What does my boyfriend have in store for us?**

Rachel grasped her phone as if it was her lifeline, waiting, desperately for a response. Was her message to cryptic, too happy, mysterious, too vague? The vibration of her phone was like a defibrillator, putting pace back into her heart.

**From: Finn Hudson**

** It's for me to know and you to find out . Just come home, and don't worry, I'll take care of everything.**

The text was so simple and so sweet; Rachel wondered how Finn did it. Here she was, attempting to formulate the perfect response while he could easily make her heart melt. It kind of made her realize what was special about Finn. Being with him was so effortless. He didn't care if she said or did the perfect thing, he just liked being around her. _They don't make them like that anymore_. Rachel thought to herself as she exited the confines of her dressing room.

Rachel popped through the door after a very long day. She habitually set her keys on the table next to the door, but felt her things hit an unusual smooth surface. She picked the piece of paper that rested there and scanned the note.

**Rach,**

** Hope you had a great day at work! Get changed into something comfortable and meet me at the beach. Take your time, I will be waiting for you there.**

** Finn**

Rachel ignored the 'take your time' part and zoomed up the stairs. She felt like a teenager, haphazardly flinging items of clothing, searching for that perfect outfit. Then she remembered her internal discussion. _Finn doesn't like me because I'm perfect, Finn likes me because I'm me._ Nodding her head, she waltzed out of her room in a simple white sundress.

Stepping onto the cool California sand, Rachel looked around for any traces of Finn. It didn't take long for her to spot her six foot four inch boyfriend jumping up and down to her left. She smiled at his adorable gesture and quickly walked over to him.

She let her bag cradle into the sand as Finn swept her off the ground. He held her tight in his arms as they rested their heads together. Finn licked his lips slowly as he stared into her eyes. Rachel felt her breath hitch in her throat in response to the deep eye contact. Luckily, Finn acted quickly and launched his lips towards hers. The kiss started out slow, but gained fire with every second. Finn went to step back a bit, but stumbled and fell down into the sand, taking Rachel with him. She landed perfectly in his lap and the two laughed at Finn's ever-present clumsiness. The laughter continued as the kiss resumed. After a few more magnificent moments, Rachel leaned back and pursed her swollen lips.

"I think we like to kiss too much," she laughed.

Finn rocked her back and forth in his lap and laughed along. Kissing her forehead he smiled, "Fine with me."

**A/N: I go from two chapters in two day to one chapter in like two weeks. Ridiculous. My sincere apologies for the lack-of-update, I hope this chapter kind of made up for it. As always, reviews make my day, so be sure to leave one!**


	11. Chapter 11

MIA Chapter 11

Finn and Rachel had landed in Ohio and were driving to their hometown of Lima. Rachel leaned against the headrest in the rental car. Now, Rachel Berry never got nervous, but she wasn't exactly _not _nervous to return to her birthplace. She hadn't been there since her graduation, and was worried how the Ohio residents would react to her Californian life. Finn noticed Rachel's abnormal behavior….well, she hadn't spoken in a while, so that usually meant something was wrong.

"Hey. What's up with you?"

Busted. Finn always knew when something was wrong. Rachel decided to just tell him what was bothering her because he usually made her feel better.

"I know that as soon as we get there, people are going to start _judging_ me. They're gonna think that I'm some Californian who thinks I'm better than everyone, and that my daytime television role has gone to my head, and that's not true, Finn, I don't know if I can take it."

"Hey, hey, hey. Since when has Rachel Berry cared what people thought? I know that _my_ Rachel doesn't. And you know what, you are better than everyone else. That's why you got out of there and went to a place where you could shine."

"Okay, I guess your right Finn, thank you."

"Anytime, babe."

"So, what has our New Directions been up to since highschool? It's killed me that I haven't stayed in touch with them." Rachel asked. And it really did, they were her first true friends.

"Well, let's see," Finn began to think, "Kurt and Mercedes are still in New York, taking the fashion world by storm. Sam has been coaching football in Texas, and Santana and Brittany live together in Florida."

"Good for them, I always knew there was something greater than friendship going on between those two." Rachel inputted.

" I think Artie is producing music in New York. Tina lives in Baltimore for some reason, and Mike teaches dance at Ohio State. And last, but not least, Quinn and Puck are married and live in Lima with their son." Finn finished.

"Wow. Looks like Glee club has grown to do some great things. I really hope that they're all at the wedding, it's going to be great to see all of them again."

"And here we are, Lima, Ohio." Finn announced.

Rachel starred out the window like a little kid, pointing out the new buildings and streets. She silently reminisced on the memories she made in this little town, and all of a sudden, it started to feel like home again.

The car stopped, and the two stared at the quaint little home that they both remembered all too well. It was Finn's house. The home, now occupied by Carole and Burt, was home to some special memories for Finn and Rachel. Finn jumped out of the car and ran to open Rachel's door for her.

"I'm going to call my dads real quick. Go see your mom, I'll be there in a minute."

Finn nodded at Rachel's request. He grabbed some suitcases out of the trunk and practically sprinted to the door. He eagerly swung the front door open and yelled, "Mom, we're here!"

Carole's voice rang out from upstairs, "Oh my goodness, Finny, I'll be down in a second!"

As promised, Carole Hummel came rushing down the steps. Her bubbly smile only grew wider as she saw her son standing in the doorway. She engulfed him in a hug, and as their embrace ended she noticed something, well, different about him. Finn had a certain glow around him, like nothing could bother him. He was wearing an infectious smile that hadn't gone away. While Carole subconsciously wished that this 'glow' was because he just saw his mommy, she knew there was another reason.

"Did you bring a girl home?" She asked.

Finn kicked at the ground and blushed, "Maybe."

"She must be pretty special, huh?" Carole cooed, "You don't get that glow around you for just anyone."

"You have no idea, mom." He replied.

Carole had to do a double take when she saw Rachel Berry walk through her threshold. But when she saw Finn instantly wrap his arm around her and witnessed his smile grow three sizes, she wasn't so surprised anymore. She had never seen her son more happy than when he was with Rachel. And she had never seen him more depressed and upset when he wasn't with Rachel. In fact, Finn's emotions tended to revolve around Rachel. Even though they experienced their share of highs and lows, Finn and Rachel were like peanut butter and jelly. They just went together.

"Rachel, honey. It is so great to see you again."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hummel. It's incredible to be back in Lima." Rachel replied, genuinely.

"I should have known that you were the cause of this, Rachel." Carole began, "The last time Finn had this force field of happiness around him was when he was with you."

Rachel looked up at Finn, a mega-watt smile growing on her face. She snuggled into his body a little bit more and said, "Finn has been my savior in more ways than one. I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Well, I bet you two are hungry after a long flight."

Finn's eyes lit up. Rachel and Carole both laughed at Finn's detection of food.

"Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes. Finn, why don't you get Rachel settled in Kurt's old room, okay?"

"You got it." Taking her hand, he led Rachel up the stairs.

Finn sprawled out on his brother's bed, letting his arms fare out on the sides. Rachel sat down next to him, taking in her surroundings. Noticing the fashion posters and glamorous décor she said, "Wow, this still has Kurt written all over it."

"Yeah, it's like a part of New York crashed in Lima." He said, as they both laughed.

"You're so right." She replied.

"Hey, what's that?" Finn asked randomly, pointing out the window.

Rachel turned away from Finn to look. All of a sudden, she felt a pair of strong hands grab clamp on to her waist. Finn threw Rachel down on top of him and began to tickle her.

"Finn! Stop!" She yelled between giggles.

Finn finally let up after a few minutes and wrapped his arms around Rachel. He nuzzled his head against hers and closed his eyes, "Much better."

Rachel ran her hand through her boyfriend's hair, taking in his glorious scent. Kissing his cheek, she allowed her eyes to shut.

* * *

Carole came upstairs, surprised that Finn didn't show up for dinner ten minutes on the dot. She arrived at Rachel's room and her heart melted. She saw her son and his girlfriend fast asleep in each others' arms with the most content smiles on their faces.

Burt came up behind her and grumbled, "What the…"

Carole silenced her husband and whispered, "Just let them be."

**A/N: You all are wonderful, thank you for such fantastic reviews! Not too much going on here, I just needed a 'bridge' to get us to the next chapter. However, I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to leave a review, they keep me moving! **


	12. Chapter 12

MIA Chapter 12

* * *

Against her will, Carole removed Finn and Rachel from their sweet sleep. Burt's grumbles of, "Come on, I'm hungry," were getting very annoying, so she silently crept into Kurt's bedroom to do the heartbreaking task. As she entered, she spotted a camera on the desk near the door. Her hand floated toward the device, the words, "Kodak moment" flooding her thoughts. She quickly closed her hand, shaking her head at such a ridiculous idea. She shook her son ever so lightly, and it did the trick. Finn made some gurgling noise, and Carole paced out of the room so the two wouldn't be embarrassed about Finn's mom waking them up.

Finn opened his eyes slightly and to be quite honest, he could not remember what time it was, or even where he was. But as soon as he saw the gorgeous brunette locks of Rachel Berry clouding his vision, he quickly relaxed and turned to see the clock. By the look of the numbers on the clock, it was way past the time he was instructed to report for dinner. He turned back around and moved a few pieces of hair away from Rachel's face. Her eyes began to flicker open and she instantly smiled.

"Wow, I could get used to that." She whispered.

Finn raised his brow, somewhat confused. "Get used to what, napping, because I thought you hated naps."

Rachel giggled and moved closer to him. With the smallest of voices she said, "No, I could get used to you being the first thing I see when I wake up."

Now, Rachel couldn't see this, but Finn's eyes grew three sizes. His body froze, unable to comprehend what his ears just heard. When his mind caught up with him, his heart swelled with pride at the unbelievable girl in his arms, _his _unbelievable girl. No one, (other than his mom, but she didn't count) had said a more heartfelt, loving thing to him than that right there. So he made sure to pull her as close as he could and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Apparently, though, his mind was still behind, because his thoughts had just caught up to him, "_…a more heartfelt_, **_loving_**_ thing." _And there it was. Loving. Love. That word. Of course, he had told Rachel he loved her and vice versa in high school, but that was high school. They then proceeded to break each others' hearts, move across the country from each other, and not speak for a couple years. So, when they met again in the Seattle airport, he was pretty sure that the whole "I love you" thing didn't apply anymore. They were in that awkward "friend" slash "oh-hey-there-i-used-to-love-you-but-I-havent-seen-you-in-forever" position. But over these last few weeks, he had gotten to know Rachel again. He had gotten to talk with her, sing with her, eat with her, hold her, and kiss her (finally), and he loved every second of it. Did that mean he was in love with her?

Rachel emerged from his embrace and placed her hand on his chin. She guided it so that his lips met hers, and kissed him sweetly. He opened his eyes to her heavenly smile. It was like she was reading his mind because right then, he had his answer. A few moments of silence passed as he mustered up some courage to say those three words again. His mouth opened, but the vocals were provided by someone else.

"Finn Gregory Hudson!" Burt yelled from downstairs.

"Gregory? His middle name is Christopher!" Carole murmured, confused at her husbands' name choice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, right. Finn Christopher Hudson, if you don't get down here in seven seconds I swear…"

Seven seconds later, Finn and Rachel were propped at the dinner table, hands folded politely. Carole placed the reheated pasta on the table and sat down.

"I know you kids were tired, it's just that someone has a ferocious appetite." She said, head nodding to Burt.

"I'm sorry; you know how we men get at dinner time, right Finn." Burt said as Finn nodded in agreement. "Anyway, Rachel, it's nice to see you again."

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel," Rachel replied.

"So, are you two like, dating and stuff?" Burt continued mouth full of food.

Rachel looked over at Finn who beamed at her with spaghetti sauce splattered on his cheek. She rolled her eyes and laughed, "Yes, we are."

"You know, that's great." Burt said, looking at Carole. "Go back like, ten years ago; we were all alone, going through rough times. Now look at us. Carole and I are happily married, Finn, you have Rachel again, and Kurt and Blaine are still together. We all found our purpose in life, the people who make us happy."

"Aw, Burt," Carole cooed.

Rachel put her hand over her heart and said, "You know, Mr. Hummel, you are so right. In high school, I didn't have any friends. Not one. Then Finn came along, and he was that one person who wanted to be my friend, and he made me happy. Then, peer pressure came along, and because of his image, he pulled away from me, and I totally understand why. I was heartbroken for the very first time."

Finn bowed his head in shame, so Rachel squeezed his hand and kept going, "Then, as our glee club grew closer, my mother, who abandoned me at my birth, abandoned my once again. Luckily, the one person who could make me feel better was by my side again, and for that half-year we dated, I was never happier." She gulped, and pushed through, "Then, some events transpired, and we broke up, for which I take full responsibility. I wasn't depressed, but I was seriously messed up. I tried and tried to get him back, and then it hit me. Finn hung out with me and stood by me not only because it made he made me happy, but because for some strange reason, I made him happy, too. And when we broke up, he felt his happiness being crushed, like I had felt so many times. Finally, I broke up with him after graduation for some insane reason, as expected, we both were borderline miserable. I know it's taken me three or four times to get this right, but now I am certain that Finn is the only one who makes me happy."

Rachel finished her impromptu soliloquy with tears beginning to flow. She was not the only one in the small kitchen whose eyes were the source of waterfalls; Carole was crying too with a sweet smile on her face. Finn wore a gentle smile and engulfed her into a hug. She had basically just professed her love to him in front of his mother and step-dad, so now was the perfect time for him to be there for her once again. "I love you so much." He whispered into her temple so that only she could hear it. He felt her pull him closer and heard her pant a few times before her words registered back to him, "I love you too, Finn."

**A/N: Alright, there you have it, Chapter 12! Even though it wasn't the Wemma wedding I have been hinting at for forever, I don't know, I kind of like this chapter. Anyway, in Glee news, it looks like all signs are pointing to Finchel! Well, it's about time. Hopefully, we just have to wait a few more weeks. To conclude this A/N, I just wanted to thank you all for your fabulous reviews. Be sure to leave one after this chapter, you know how much I enjoy them!**


	13. Chapter 13

MIA Chapter 13

After entering the decorated church and receiving neat, fancy programs, Finn followed his family into the pew. He scooted in after Burt, Carole, Kurt, Blaine, and Rachel and finally was able to take in his surroundings. Looking up, he imediatley froze. Today the altar wore a clean white linen, but all Finn could see was a dark cherry casket draped in an American flag. He swallowed hard as the floral arangements were transformed into tall picture of a soldier with the 'Christopher Hudson' written under it. Finn was way too young to remember the day his father was layed to rest, all he knew was that the grave event happened in this very church.

Rachel noticed that her strangely silent boyfriend hadn't moved in a good three minutes. His body was like ice, cold and immovable, and his eyes pointed straight forward. Turning away from her conversation with Blaine and Kurt, she clamped her hand on Finn's knee. No change there. Taking the next step, she gently shook his knee, hoping for some movement.

Finn felt his knee vibrate and was snapped out of his depressing trance. He looked left to find Rachel's smiling face fill his line of vision. She was just so gorgeous.

"Hey you," Finn whispered to her.

"Hey yourself," She replied.

Finn didn't propel the conversation any further so the couple took in the silence, staring at the altar. Suddenly, Rachel rested her head on Finn's shoulder. "Do you remember your mother's wedding?"

Instantly a smile appeared on Finn's face. He moved his arm to wrap it around Rachel's shoulder and replied, "Of course I do, we sang and danced right down this aisle."

Rachel scooted closer to her boyfriend and said, "It seems like just yesterday, doesn't it?"

Then it hit Finn. This father's funeral happened right here twenty some years ago. It was a sad and traumatic event, sure, but he was able to move on. He was, in fact, able to move on because he made other memories in this church. Happier memories. His father will forever be in his heart, but Finn knew that he should be focusing not on his past, but on his future. And the woman sitting next to him was certainly part of his future.

"I think I wanna marry you." Finn blurted out.

Rachel nodded, "Yes, Finn, it's an excellent song. It fit the occasioan perfectly, that's for sure."

"Wait, what song?" Finn asked, confused.

Rachel lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked back at him equally confused, "What do you mean, what song. 'I think I wanna marry you' are lyrics to the song we….oh my goodness."

Finn froze as Rachel's jaw fell to the floor.

"You didn't mean that as just lyrics….." She continued, completely awestruck.

"Umm…oh look, there's Puck. I'm gonna go talk to him. Love you, bye." And after a kiss on the head, Finn was halfway across the church.

"Love…you…too." Rachel whispered back slowly, body still trembling at Finn's words.

"Finn Hudson, how's it going, man!" Puck greeted his his high school best friend with a much needed man-hug.

"Dude, it's really great to see you." Finn replied.

The former footballers talked for a few minutes about their jobs and what not. Finn, to be honest, wasn't completely absorbed in the converstation, mostly due to his thoughts that he so stupidly shared with Rachel.

All of a sudden, Puck was flanked by a certain blonde with a little bundle wrapped in her arms.

"Oh my goodness, Finn!" Quinn said. Handing the baby off to Puck, she went to hug her former boyfriend. "It's been so long, how are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. And I see that you two have been doing great."

"Yeah, Finn, this is our little guy, Evan. Say hi to Uncle Finnessa, buddy." Puck proudly cooed, waving the baby's small hand.

"Noah, stop it." Quinn said, giggling slightly and regaining control of her son.

Finn smiled back at the little family, "Wow, who would have thought that Noah Puckerman and Quinn Fabray would ever be happily married with a kid after everything that went down at McKinley. I'm really happy for you guys, truly I am."

"Aw, thanks, Finn. I hear you, high school was a crazy time. But we all grew up, and are all leading happy, successful lives." Switching gears, Quinn asked, "What have you been up too, is there a special someone in your life?"

"Yeah, man, I was wondering the same thing." Puck said.

"Well, yeah, actually," Finn began, cheeks turning red. "I live in California with my girlfriend, Rachel."

"Woah….hold it." Puck said, "You mean like, Berry? Rachel Berry? You have got to be….."

Quinn shot her husband a glare and replied, "No, don't listen to him, Finn. I always knew that you and Rachel were destined to be together, isn't that right, Puck?"

Puck chuckled a bit, but honestly replied, "Yeah, she's right, you two were kinda meant for each other."

"Thanks guys, that means a lot." Finn said, blush still present.

"So, where is Rachel then, I would love to go talk to her." Quinn began, searching the crowd for her former rival.

"She's…uh…over there near Kurt and Blaine." Finn pushed out.

"Great, let's go." Quinn said, putting Evan back in his carrier and taking Puck by the hand.

"Um…you guys go ahead. I need to….use the bathroom." Finn quickly replied, not wanting to sound too uncomfortable.

"Yeah, okay. See you over there, then." Puck answered, eyes crunched at Finn's odd behavior.

Finn practically skipped to the restroom. As soon as he reached the confines of the men-only zone, he let his head fall against the mirror. _What am I going to do when I get out there?_ He asked himself. _I can't avoid her forever, can I? What am I doing, Hudson, I can't avoid her, I __**love**__ her._ Smiling to himself in the mirror, Finn thought it again, _Yeah, I love her. She's incredible, and funny, and gorgeous, and smart, and she really knows me. And she loves me right back. She loves me and only me._

_ So why __**shouldn't **__I want to marry her. _

**A/N: It's been FOREVER since I last updated! My sincerest apologies, but now that it's summer, things have settled down, and I am fully ready to fill the glee-less months with fanfiction! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even though it took eons to write. Reviews would be wonderful **


	14. Chapter 14

MIA Chapter 14

Finn practically sprinted to the restroom. As soon as he reached the confines of the men-only zone, he let his head fall against the mirror. _What am I going to do when I get out there?_ He asked himself. _I can't avoid her forever, can I? What am I doing, Hudson, I can't avoid her, I __**love**__ her._ Smiling to himself in the mirror, Finn thought it again, _Yeah, I love her. She's incredible, and funny, and gorgeous, and smart, and she really knows me. And she loves me right back. She loves me and only me._

_ So why __**shouldn't **__I want to marry her. _

Dabbing some water over his face, Finn opened his eyes and stared at the reflection looking back at him. His skin was rough from the demands of being a Marine and his face had the look of experience. He definitely wasn't in high school anymore, he thought with a grin as he examined his features. He was a mature man who lived in the real world. He was faced with critical decisions and challenges as he navigated his way through life. And now, he stands, in the bathroom of a church in Ohio while his mind is pinned back again with another choice.

Suddenly the door swung open to reveal a thin, blonde man with his shaggy hair slicked back for the occasion.

"Finn?" The man questioned, slowly walking towards the sink.

"Sam, it's great to see you, man." Finn replied, turning away from the mirror.

"Yeah, yeah it is. Hey, you don't look so good, something wrong?" Sam asked his friend.

"Umm…" Finn began. "Yeah, actually."

"Well, come on, we got some time before the ceremony starts. What's going on?" Sam asked genuinely.

Finn smiled at his friend's eagerness to help. "Well, a couple weeks ago, I started dating Rachel again."

"Oh yeah, I was just talking to her," Sam countered. "I honestly thought you two would be married by now." He said with a chuckle.

Sam slowed his laughter down when he saw Finn's face remain serious.

"That's what this is about, dude."

"Oh." Sam mumbled.

"You see, in high school, Rachel and I went through so much drama and so many love triangles that, in the end, allowed us to develop a stable, loving relationship. But when we graduated she just left me because I was 'high school boyfriend' material, not some one she realistically saw a future with. So when we met again all these years later, I made sure I was careful because she put me through so much misery. But, it took like two days for me to fall in love with her again. And it's like our relationship was just paused for seven or so years because somehow we just picked things right back up. And being here now, and seeing Puck and Quinn, I want all of it. I want to marry Rachel and I kind of blurted it out earlier and now I'm terrified because I keep thinking if I'm taking things too fast especially after all our past and…"

"Whoa, whoa, Finn….slow down." Sam smiled.

"Huh? Oh sorry." Finn said as his cheeks grew red.

"You want to know what I think?" Sam asked.

"Uh, yeah of course."

"I think that you're over thinking this. If I was in love with someone as much as you are with Rachel, I would gladly let my emotions take control over my mind because that's what being in love is all about. There aren't rules, there are no guidelines that tell you how slow or fast to take it, you know? When you told Rachel you wanted to marry her, you weren't just blurting it out. Sure, in your mind it seemed that way, but that wasn't your mind talking, it was your heart. So, dude, follow your heart, because it knows a lot more than you think it does."

The second Finn processed Sam's monologue, he engulfed the man in a giant hug.

"Thanks, dude. Really, you have no idea."

The hug ended shortly after that and Sam said, "No problem, I wish the best for you, brother."

"Right back at you. Now, let's get back out there."

Rachel was holding the gurgling Evan Puckerman while talking to his parents. Finn showed up beside her, the first time he'd been seen in a good half hour.

"Well, someone took a long bathroom break." Puck said, receiving a smack from his wife.

"Stop it." Quinn muttered. Sensing something was wrong, Quinn searched for an excuse to give Finn and Rachel some privacy. "Uh, Noah, look, there's Artie…let's go say hello."

Puck replied, "Artie? Why the h…"

After processing the glares that Quinn was sending him, Puck finally got the idea. "Artie…I haven't seen that dude in forever! I'll be taking that," Puck said as he lifted his son out of Rachel's arms. "And hasta la vista to you two."

With the Puckerman family gone, just Finn and Rachel remained in the pew.

"So…." Finn began.

"So…." Rachel continued.

"They really made this church look nice." Finn said, forcing conversation.

"Finn, what is wrong with us?" Rachel asked.

"I…" He began, formulating his thoughts. Rachel, being Rachel, didn't let him finish.

"I mean, you tell me you want to _marry me_, and now you can't even talk to me!"

"Listen…"

"At least just _tell me_ what's going through your mind right now and we can…."

Rachel was stopped by Finn's lips, which were planted right on hers. She felt his strong hand run down her hair as she instinctively used her hand to grab his tie. When Finn felt that Rachel got the picture, he leaned away from his now speechless girlfriend.

"Rachel. I love you, so much. And at the time, I thought that I blurted it out. And I was scared and afraid and nervous and unsure. The more I thought about it though, I came to realize that there are no rules in love, you know? And I know that sounds clee…."

"..Shay." Rachel finished for him. "Cliché."

Finn smiled back at her and continued, "It sounds cliché, but it's true. And now, I am completely sure that I wasn't just blurting those words out."

Rachel was dumbstruck. Her mouth moved up and down, and she eventually began speaking. "You, you mean…."

"I'm not saying today, or tomorrow, or next week or even next month. I want it to happen, Rach, I want _us _to happen. I love you and I am now sure that I want you to be a permanent part of my life."

"Finn, you are perfect. I love you so much." Rachel replied, not able to contain the tears in her eyes.

"Hey, honey, looks like the happy couple became happy again." Puck said, watching Finn and Rachel from across the church

"Noah, leave them alone!" Quinn said, sneaking a look back at them.

"I mean, look at their eyes, they're practically locked on each other." Puck continued.

"They're just in love." Quinn replied.

"But we're in love, and we don't do that." He countered.

Quinn smiled and snuggled into Puck's arm. "_Nothing_ about us is like Finn and Rachel, babe."

"True, very true. They are certainly in a league of their own." Puck said as he wrapped his arm around his wife.

**A/N: It's been like an eternity since I've updated! The second summer started, time has been moving at lightning speed! I went to the beach and then went to Spain (amazing!) and now I have work and summer assignments and sports. I know that doesn't excuse anything, but I am so sorry to my loyal readers. Anyway, this chapter was hard to write, but I like the addition of Sam and putting some more Quick in there. Let me know what you guys think!**


	15. Chapter 15

MIA Chapter 15

The wedding had been absolutely beautiful. Will and Emma's love had caused every single guest to soften their hearts, if only for an hour. And Finn Hudson was no exception. Normally, the man would have been itching to head to the reception (aka…the food) as soon as possible. But this time it was different. This time he had the love of his life sitting next to him, bawling her eyes out at the display of love before her. So instead of itching to hit the beef and potatoes, Finn couldn't help but long to be on that altar where his former teacher stood, promising himself to Rachel Berry forever.

Chills moved through the Marine's body when he began to imagine Rachel in a long white gown making her way down the aisle. He shivered a bit as he forced himself out of his fantasy.

"Finn, are you okay?"

"Huh? What?" Finn replied as he spun around.

"You were like shivering, man." Blaine said as he grabbed his friend's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, It's uh….kinda cold in here, you know?" Finn murmmered nervously.

"It's eighty degrees out." Blaine replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I….."

"I know what's wrong. You see yourself up there, don't you?" Blaine smiled as he pointed up to the altar as the guests were filing out.

Finn blushed a bit and Blaine continued, "Because I certainly can."

Finn looked up at the former Warbler and said, "You can? With….with Kurt?"

Blaine kicked his polished shoe against the floor and beamed with confidence, "We lucked out, you know. We both fell in love with unbelievable people."

"Dude, you got that right." Finn replied with a smile.

Suddenly, Finn felt two arms wrap around his suited waist. Rachel's chin found a place on her boyfriend's shoulder. "What does Blaine have right?" she asked. Kurt followed and stood next to his boyfriend, wondering the same thing.

Finn just smiled knowingly at Blaine and wrapping his arm around Rachel he simply replied, "Oh, nothing."

"It is my pleasure to announce for the first time….Mr. & Mrs. Will Schuester!"

The crowd went crazy as the newlyweds hopped into the reception hall. Finn was seated with Burt, Carole, Rachel, Blaine, Kurt, Puck, Quinn, and Evan. Before they knew it, dinner was over and despite Finn's extremely generous portion of food, the real party was ready to begin.

Everyone was having a great time, dancing to the slow songs, jamming to the pop songs, and just letting loose with the classic wedding songs. Finn and Rachel, along with the rest of the couples, were currently swaying to "Baby I'm Amazed". Rachel had her fingers laced through Finn's hair, totally in love with the man she was dancing with.

"I love you, you know that?" She gushed.

"Uh, yeah, I think I do." Finn replied with a smile, staring into her eyes.

Rachel leaned into her boyfriend and rested her head on his broad chest. "Okay, I was just making sure."

The song ended a few moments later and after the standard applause, the next song began to play.

Finn immediately recognized the catchy, fast-tempoed song after a few beats.

"You have got to be kidding me." He grumbled as the Bruno Mars song "Marry You" filled the hall.

Rachel giggled a bit at Finn's embarrassment. "Well this is certainly ironic."

"This is so embarrassing." He replied as he covered his face in his hands.

"Hey, hey, hey." She said, grabbing his hands. "It might be ironic, and slightly embarrassing, but it's not awkward anymore, remember?"

Remembering their heart-to-heart conversation before the ceremony, Finn instantly relaxed. "You're right, Rach." He began swaying their interlocked hands from side to side and sang along with the music. "_Is it the look in your eyes, or is it this dancing juice…who cares, baby I think I wanna marry you."_

The song ended and Finn released his hands from Rachel's and engulfed her in a loving hug. He kissed the top of her head as the embrace ended and she leaned up to kiss him right back for a simple peck on the lips.

"I've got to use the ladies room, but I'll be right back out, okay?" She said.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be over there with Puck." He replied.

A few minutes later, Rachel emerged from the restroom. The obnoxiously addictive tones of the "Chicken Dance" rang through her ears as she searched for Finn. It didn't take long for her to find him near the right side of the dance floor, holding baby Evan as Puck moved the little boy's hands to flap like a chicken with Quinn laughing next to the men. Smiling, Rachel began to make her way over when she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Rachel, is that you?"

She spun around to see none other than the man of the hour, her influential Glee instructor, and newlywed Will Schuester smiling at his former pupil.

"Mr. Schue! Oh my goodness, congratulations!" She said, sharing a hug with the tuxedoed man.

"Thank you so much, Rachel. I have never been happier," Will replied, "Well, except for winning nationals with my favorite group of kids." He clarified with a chuckle.

"You have no idea how much you and that nationals trophy meant to us, Mr. Schue," Rachel began, "So what have you been up to?"

"Still teaching at McKinley, but I'm afraid no group of students have been able to match the talent level, or place in my heart that you guys reached. And due to budget cuts and what not, the superintendant has definitively decided to cut the Glee club out of McKinley."

"Oh, that's such a shame. Glee was such a special part of my life, I can't believe that kids won't be able to experience it anymore." She replied with sadness in her voice.

"I've just learned to accept it, Rachel. That's all we can do. But, hey, look at you, Miss Days of Our Lives…I'm so proud of you!"

"Minor roles, Mr. Schue, but thank you, it's a lot of fun."

"I'm sure it is, I tell everyone I know that a former student of mine is on a daytime drama," Will said, "But I'm afraid that television hasn't shown off the voice of Rachel Berry."

"Yes, that has definitely been hard. I left Broadway a few years ago because the big roles weren't coming, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss it."

"Well, I've been working on a musical for a couple years now and I've had a few producers show interest in it. They said that if I got a solid cast together and performed the show for them, it's got a real shot at Broadway."

"That's fantastic! That must be a dream come true!" Rachel said.

"It really is. I've got my old buddy Bryan Ryan on board, you remember April Rhodes, and Holly Holliday is going to be working on it along with a few more familiar names. Emma and I are relocating to New York after our honeymoon to focus on getting this show moving."

"Looks like you already got a pretty impressive cast there, Mr. Schue."

"There's always room for one more, Rachel." Mr. Schue softly spoke.

"Wait…you mean you want me in your show?"

"Your incredible voice and passionate acting skills will set this musical above and beyond the producer's expectations. I can promise you a leading role, Rachel. What do you say?"

Rachel's mind began to spin. Here she was, being offered a shot at a leading role on Broadway and she found herself speechless. The high school edition of Rachel Berry would have tackled Will and screamed "I'LL DO IT!" so loud that it would be potentially deafening. Now, though, there were other factors to consider.

"I love my life in California, Mr. Schue. I am living with Finn and we are going to get married someday hopefully and his job is unmovable. It's such a tempting offer, but I don't know if I can start over in New York without him."

"I understand. Here, I want you to take a script," Will said, handing her a thick packet, "Just read over it and consider joining the show. Please, just consider it. The lights, glamour, and prestige of Broadway…isn't that what you've always wanted, Rachel?"

Will walked away to rejoin his bride, leaving Rachel motionless and faced with a very, very impossible decision.

**A/N: Chapter 15! We're hitting some drama, and it's gonna be a bumpy ride folks…no, I'm just kidding, I honestly have no idea where next chapter will take us, but sometimes it's better that way. Hope you all enjoyed and be sure to leave a review! Thanks **


	16. Chapter 16

MIA Chapter 16

"See you around, man." Puck said as he shook Finn's hand.

"Yeah, definitely." Finn nodded and then looked over to Quinn, "Keep him in check, got that?"

"I always do." She smiled and gave her ex-boyfriend a pleasant hug.

"Ready to go?" Finn asked Rachel after the Puckerman family left.

"Of course." Rachel smiled, gripping the script packet in her arms. She let one hand dangle and Finn instinctively reached down and grabbed it.

They were at Burt and Carole's house before they knew it. Finn's mom and stepfather wished the couple a good night and disappeared upstairs. Rachel decided that sleep would also be her best plan of action to maybe think about the decision in front of her.

"I'm gonna head up to bed now, too." She said to Finn.

He didn't like the sound of that and pouted, "Awww….don't go to bed now. Watch TV with me for a while."

A small smile appeared on Rachel's face but she turned to move up the stairs until a pair of strong hands gripped her waist. The Marine picked her up bridal style and twirled her to the couch where he lovingly tossed her on to the couch. He leaned down and began to kiss her. Rachel tried her best to resist, but she just couldn't. His tie began to be wiggled off by Rachel until she got a bearing of exactly what was happening.

"Finn." She whispered between his loving kisses.

"Yeah." He panted.

"We are in your parents' living room."

"I know my own house, Rachel." He said, slightly confused.

She smiled at his innocence and replied, "No, I mean we can't have sex right here."

Finn sat up a bit, looked around and got a slightly disappointed look on his face. "You're right. I can only imagine what would happen if Burt walked down the stairs in the morning and saw us."

"Bingo." Rachel said as she kissed his nose.

"But you owe me." Finn teased hugging her close on the couch. Rachel rolled her eyes and relaxed into his body. She could think about the offer of a lifetime some other time. Right now though all she cared about was being in Finn's arms and dreaming the night away.

"CAROLE! They're doing it again!"

Carole came rushing down the stairs, unsure of what Burt was yelling about. She stopped right behind him at the bottom of the steps and looked down at the couch. She gasped at what she saw. Her son was sprawled along the couch, tie slightly undone. Rachel was nuzzled under his shoulder and his suit jacket was draped over them as a make-shift blanket. They were sound asleep with content looks on their faces.

"They fell asleep together again. They have separate bedrooms for a rea…."

"Burt stop it!" Carole shooed at him. "They're in love, they can't help it."

"Whatever." Burt sighed and walked into the kitchen. Carole stood in the same spot admiring her pride and joy and the love of his life. '_I have definitely got to take a picture of this.'_ She thought, but resisted the urge to capture the adorable-ness for the second time.

"Carole…stop staring at them." Burt called from in the kitchen.

"I wasn't staring!" She grumbled as she joined her husband in the kitchen.

The smell of coffee pierced through Finn's nostrils and he began to stir. This caused Rachel to begin to wake as well. She opened her eyes to see her boyfriend's tired eyes and his adorable grin.

"Good morning." Finn said.

"Hello." She smiled she stretched her neck up to kiss him. "Well, that certainly wasn't as comfy as your bed." She said, making reference to the place she had spent quite a few nights the past month or two.

"Not at all." He chuckled, "But as long as you're with me, I sleep just fine."

All Rachel could do was smile. She, unwillingly, untangled herself from Finn's arms and crawled off the couch. She lifted her arms up to stretch a bit, to which Finn took advantage. He snuck up and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her ear.

Rachel giggled and turned around to face him. "I love you." He grinned.

"I love you, too." She easily replied.

"I look like a disaster. I'm going to go take a shower." Finn commented as their embrace broke.

"Good call." She laughed.

Finn rolled his eyes and joined her in laughter, "Thanks."

Rachel walked into the kitchen and was greeted by Carole and a cup of coffee.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hummel." Rachel said politely.

"You're very welcome, Rachel." She smiled back.

"I'm gonna get going." Burt declared as he stood up. "I love you." He said, kissing his wife goodbye, "Rachel, have a good day."

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel."

Burt shut the door and the two most important women in Finn's life remained in the kitchen.

"So what do you have planned for today, Rachel?"

"Well, Finn and I were just going to re-introduce ourselves to Lima. It's been way too long since we've been home."

"That sounds lovely." Carole said, "You know, Finn doesn't care what you do, as long as he's with you."

Rachel blushed a bit to which Carole quickly responded, "I didn't mean to embarrass you, dear. He just really, really loves you."

"I know he does, and I love him just as much back…maybe even more." Rachel said, "In high school, I was just some nerdy drama-queen singer and Finn was the popular quarterback. Whenever I think about that, it's just crazy that we're where we are now. I just feel so stupid when I remember that I ended things with him…"

"Rachel, stop blaming yourself." Carole smiled, "You made Finn become an amazing person and you helped him reach his potential and when you broke things off, a mature man emerged, who understood heartbreak and tragedy and happiness. The truth is you drive his emotions. And with you back, the love is flowing through him again and he is not only mature, but complete."

"Mrs. Hummel." Rachel began…

"Call me Carole, sweetie." Carole said as she went to hug the girl, and then she whispered "or hopefully, someday, mom."

Rachel was so touched at that moment that she just cried, she choked out the only words she could muster at the moment, "I can't wait to be a part of this family."

And she didn't know it, but a certain Marine happened to be leaned in the doorway with the most infectious smile on his face. And she didn't know it, but he happened to be playing around with a small jewelry box in his pocket.

**A/N: Okay, I have calculated it and it has been exactly…FOREVER since I updated. But with Glee back in the swing of things and Finchel-ness abroad, I couldn't help but post again. Thanks to all who have stuck with this story, Happy Holidays to all, and remember to leave a review!**


	17. Chapter 17

MIA Chapter 17

After kind of listening into his mother and girlfriend's conversation, Finn decided that it was time he made his presence known.

"Good morning, ladies." Finn addressed them suavely.

Rachel detached her herself from Carole's arms and smiled, "Oh Finn, you're out of the bathroom. I am going to grab a quick shower, if I may."

Rachel walked out of the room, and placed her hand on Finn's abdomen. She patted the defined surface gently and slid it off as she exited the room. To be quite honest, Finn completely loved that. Anytime his body made contact with Rachel it sent his mind into a whirlwind of bliss. But the only downfall of that moment was that his mom was standing right there and could see the blush on his face that was fire engine red.

Mrs. Hudson giggled a bit and turned around to put some dishes in the sink. Her son was already embarrassed enough, and as much as she wanted to pick on him some more, she decided to let it go.

"Rachel tells me you two are going to re-introduce yourselves to Lima." She stated.

"Uh, yeah. That was her idea, actually. I don't really know what she means by that." He confessed.

"I figured." She laughed, "But like I told her, it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you're together."

Finn winced, "Mom, you told her that? I can embarrass myself, thank you very much."

"She agreed with me, actually." Carole said matter-of-factly as she dried a plate.

Finn chuckled, "She better of."

"I'm sorry; I just really love both of you." Mrs. Hudson began, turning around. "When you two were in highschool, I dreamed that you two would get married and have adorable, talented children, and grow old and happy together. And then you broke up and I, as pathetic as this sounds, was equally crushed and now, I just can't help it, you need to marry this girl now!"

"Whoa, mom!" Finn said, putting his hands up in the surrender position. "She's upstairs!" He mouthed so no one could hear.

"She loves you so much, she'll say yes if that's what you're worried about!" Carole pleaded.

"No! I'm not worried about that. I just need to find the right…time, and the right moment. It all has to be perfect because she's perfect."

_Meanwhile, upstairs in Rachel's (Kurt's old) room_

Rachel sat on her bed with her hair up in a bun. She was facing the root of her immense internal conflict; Mr. Schue's script. The cover page was blank, mocking her of the possible brilliance that might be inside. The simple white page was so bland and unreadable that she questioned why she was even questioning her future to pursue it.

Then she opened it.

And then she understood why the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover" is overly used: because it's true. The plot was clever, suspenseful, meaningful, and romantic, all tied up with catchy, memorable songs. If this didn't make Broadway, she didn't know what could. Her role was simply the part of a lifetime, a woman who was challenging and exciting. As she skimmed over her lines, the more she read the more natural it felt. She missed this. She missed the theater and musicals and everything in between. She missed the late rehearsals and the sore throats from belting her voice every night. She missed the cast relationships and the costumes and taking the final bow.

And then, as if on cue, a knock echoed in the room. A voice accompanied the knock,

"Rach? Can I come in? I mean, if you're not dressed, I don't want to come in…well I mean I want to but I don't have…never mind."

Rachel instinctively giggled at Finn's adorableness. Even if he wasn't trying to, he always found a way to make her smile. And just like that, her decision went two steps back. She missed the theater and musicals for sure, but did that even compare to how much she missed _him_? When she kissed him in their driveway for the first time in like seven years almost caused her heart to stop. She slept like an angel whenever she was in his arms. Just touching him makes her skin tingle.

"Come in." She said, trying not to sound internally confused. Exactly a third of a second later, the door was opened and her boyfriend was coming to join her on the bed. She closed up the script packed and threw it on the ground.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Just my script." She replied, _that wasn't lying, was it?_

"Oh." He said, brushing it off. "We're kind of on vacation, stop studying!"

Rachel giggled, reminiscing on their high school memories.

-Tiny Flashback-

"_Rach, come on, its Christmas break! It's like a whole week off, don't worry!"_

"_Finn, I can't possibly waste over seven full days of potential study time. Right when we get back I have an AP Chem test and a few essays due for…"_

_The Rachel rant was paused by Finn's lips, which he placed tenderly over hers. Finn learned that kissing was the best way to silence his talkative girlfriend and he enjoyed it too. Finn felt Rachel's lips bend into a smile and he knew he had got her. _

"_You win, Mr. Hudson, I will not look at one school book today!"_

"_Today?" Finn whined. "What about tomorrow, and the next day?"_

"_I can make no more promises." She smiled._

"_Well then, why are we wasting time talking?" He smiled, throwing a large chemistry book on the floor and placing his lips right back where they belonged._

"Finn, haven't you learned by now that I can never waste any potential study time?" She said.

Finn rolled his eyes and laughed, "Oh, believe me, honey. But as much as you hate wasting study time, I hate wasting time that I could be spending with you."

Rachel bit her lip slightly and smiled, "Okay then, Mr. Hudson, maybe studying can wait."

"Well then, why are we wasting time talking?" Finn replied on cue, pulling her down on the bed with him and placing his lips right back where they belonged.

**A/N: I'm on a roll! After that last chapter, I just couldn't stop. Consider this a holiday present to my loyal readers. And in return –cough- -cough- maybe a review would be nice? Thanks for reading everyone! **


	18. Chapter 18

MIA Chapter 18

Rachel buckled under Finn's touch. He worked his lips across her neck as she gripped his broad shoulders. Things were getting very heated on her bed and even though her body was tingling at every touch, her mind was somewhere else. To be specific, it was on that thick script lying on the floor. She hated this. She hated being faced with such a tough decision and she hated keeping the truth from the man she loved. To be honest, keeping this bottled up was only going to make her crazier, so she decided now was as good as ever to get this off her chest.

But first, she had to get Finn off her chest, literally, and that was going to take some work. His kisses were tantalizing, practically addicting and she had to put an end to this before she was past the point of no return.

"Finn." She moaned out.

"Hmmmm..." He hummed, running his hands through her hair.

"I have to talk to you." She replied, quite sternly. Finn took this as a hint that she was being serious and lifted his head from hers.

"Yeah, of course." He told her, "Is everything okay?"

"At Mr. Schuester's wedding, he offered me a job." Rachel started out.

"A job?" Finn asked, not sure where she was going with this.

"A Broadway show." She clarified, delivering the painful blow.

"Oh." He said, understanding completely. He flashed back to sitting on the McKinley stage, when he was nothing but a confused senior and she was four steps ahead of everything. And since her plans for Broadway superstardom didn't turn out exactly as planned, he figured that now she was basically telling him she had already gotten an apartment in New York, had her rehearsal schedule set up, and was leaving in ten seconds.

"So what do you think?" She muttered, almost in a whisper.

"What do I think?" He repeated, shocked. She wasn't leaving, not yet anyway, she was asking for his input.

_I think you should move in with me permanently and never leave my arms. I think you should marry me so that we can become a family. I think we should have two boys that play football and two girls that sing like angels and I think we should grow old together in a small house near the beach completely in love with each other. _

"I think you are Rachel Berry and you have always known exactly what you wanted. I think this is an incredibly opportunity and if you still want it, I think you should go for it." He said.

"I'm not completely sure I still want it." She told him honestly.

"Why not?" He replied, "You would finally fulfill your dream, you would have everything you ever wanted."

"I wouldn't have you." Rachel told him.

"Rachel." Finn whispered, "I love you, you know that. But I don't want you to resent me someday because I was in the way of your dream. You are a star, you don't need me."

"That's the thing, Finn. I don't need you, but I want you. I have never wanted anything more, don't you see? I compromised our relationship once before for my dumb dreams and I was miserable. And these past few months have been the best of my life, without Broadway and with you."

"But this isn't some chorus role, Rach. It's a leading role. It's in the spotlight. It's you." Finn pleaded.

"Why are you doing this?" Rachel questioned, "It's like you don't even want me to stay."

"Of course I want you to stay!" He clarified quite loudly to get his point across, "But it's not about me. I want you to stay, sure, but above all I want you to do what you want and be happy, and I believe that it is on Broadway, not in California."

"Well, we wouldn't have to break up or anything, you can move to New York with me or you know, long distance would work." Rachel said, trying to save her relationship as she felt it slipping away.

"I don't think it's a good idea. I don't want to be a distraction for you." He whispered.

"Oh for God's sake, be a little selfish, Finn, please!" She begged, "Please tell me how you really feel, I need to know!"

_I think you should move in with me permanently and never leave my arms. I think you should marry me so that we can become a family. I think we should have two boys that play football and two girls that sing like angels and I think we should grow old together in a small house near the beach completely in love with each other. _

"You just heard how I feel." He said quietly.

She stood up from the bed, droplets of water forming in her eyes, "Fine. I'll call Mr. Schue right now and tell him I'll be in New York tomorrow."

Finn stood up as well and shoved his hands in his pockets. _I'm doing this for her._ He nodded in agreement and desperately fought back the tears that were about to expose themselves.

The door slammed and he was alone, left only with his tears and the weight of a small ring box trapped in his pocket.

**A/N: Chapter 18 everybody! A little drama finally shoved its way into this story…Rachel's heading back to NYC because Finn couldn't tell her what he wanted. The next chapter should be very interesting then! Thank you so much for reading and remember, reviews = love!**


	19. Chapter 19

MIA Chapter 19

Finn turned the key and walked into the foyer of his house for the first time in two weeks. Immediately every detail reminded him of his girlfriend. Or ex-girlfriend for that matter. The little touches she added to his house to make it a home suddenly made him sick and he had the urge to just run away and forget everything. He wasn't a genius, but he knew that wasn't possible. Twenty four hours ago his life had been in complete bliss. He was literally minutes from asking the love of his life to marry him and now he was back alone in California. What the hell happened? He knew what happened; he was an idiot who said the right things that were so, so, so wrong at the same time. Be happy, you have dreams, blah blah blah. She knew he didn't mean that, she knew he wanted her to stay so why didn't he tell her? Finn was going crazy with all these thoughts racing through his head. While he did want her to be his, he also had that rough memory of getting out of the way of her dreams before. And now he sat alone in the kitchen, staring at the two coffee cups on the counter. He finally let his emotions take over as he stared at the pink mug with bright yellow stars all over it.

* * *

Rachel turned the key and walked into the apartment of her cousins for the first time in two years. Linda and Lance Berry were her father, Leroy's sister's kids. The twins were the same age as Rachel and the three were very close as kids. Linda was a musician and Lance worked in finance on Wall Street. The Berry siblings were more than happy to welcome their cousin back to the Big Apple.

"Rach?" Lance asked from around the corner.

"Yeah, it's me." She replied without any emotion.

"Come here." Linda comforted, walking past her brother to give her cousin a hug.

"How are you feeling?" Lance asked.

"I've been better." She replied dryly.

"I blame it on that California pollution. Just wait till you get that New York air back in you…"

"Lance!" Linda growled at her brother, unamused at his attempt at humor.

"Sorry." He said, backing away into the hallway.

"I know it's hard, hon. But it will work itself out." Linda said.

"Lin, I am in love with him, and I was selfish and stupid." Rachel cried.

"Like I said, if it's meant to be, eventually it will be."

"Thanks, Lin. Maybe Lance is right, maybe some New York air is just what I need."

Then Lance zoomed back into the living room. "Did somebody just say I was right?"

The girls laughed a bit, "I think Rach needs to get re-introduced to New York with some old-school tourism things." Linda commented.

"That sounds wonderful; I have two days before I start rehearsals so…"

"Then what are we waiting for!" Lance cried, grabbing his wallet and dragging the girls out the door.

* * *

"Hudson!" Sergeant Watson, one of Finn's good friends in the Marines, greeted him. Derek Watson was like the old Noah Puckerman of California, a happy-go-lucky womanizer who wasn't into relationships unless they only lasted one night. Finn sometimes wondered why he was friends with these types of guys in the first place when he was only truly interested in one girl his entire life.

"What's up, man?" Finn replied without any eye contact, sitting in his desk.

"Dude, what's up your ass?" Watson inquired, egging his pal on.

"Nothing, Wat, I'm just tired."

"Whatever." Watson said, brushing it off, "How was Ohio?"

"Fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Apparently I'm not gonna get any answers outta you today. But here, I got some good news though. Lieutenant Turnbull wants us at the PR office in New York next week! What Broadway show do you want to see?" He asked, pumped up for the trip.

His partner in crime wasn't as pumped, however. Finn's eyes went blank and he did not reply to Derek.

_New York._ _Rachel. New York. Rachel. Rachel. _

"Okay, don't like musicals, that's cool, how about a Yankee game?" Watson probed.

_New York._ _Rachel. New York. Rachel. Rachel. Rachel. Rachel._

"Shut the hell up!" Finn roared and paced out of the room.

After Finn's outburst at work, Watson went over and the two talked over a few beers at the bar. While Derek knew Finn was dating Rachel, Finn finally explained the past, the present, and the suddenly dim future with his dream girl. Watson watched his friend laugh and cry and cringe and cry. He felt bad for the man, honestly but…..

_This is exactly why I don't do relationships_… Watson thought.

"Dude, I'm real sorry about all of this. But we gotta go to New York, man. It'll be like a bro vacation...a bro-cation." Watson said, proud of his new word.

"Yeah, super idea, man. If RACHEL WASN'T LIVING IN NEW YORK!"

"Chill, brother. New York is huge. The odds of us seeing her are slim to none."

"I really love her. But she probably won't take me back after I basically pushed her away."

"Uh huh."

"So what should I do?" Finn asked.

"Hudson, you are asking the wrong dude. I don't believe in love."

"Shut up." Finn laughed, shoving his friend's shoulder.

"I be spiked out, I could trip a referee, tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely in…"

"We aren't there yet." Finn grumbled, buckling his seat belt on the plane.

"Whatever, man, I'm pumped. The big apple is sick!" Watson said.

"Wat, this is business first. We have a lot of things to do at the PR office."

"Oh come on! When did you get all boring, Hudson?"

"I'm just doing my job, Derek." Finn replied.

Four hours later the duo of Marines were walking down the streets of Manhattan in full dress. Watson was digging the looks all the women were giving the buff men while Finn's eyes were running wild, searching for a certain brunette with an angelic voice.

"What are you doing for the rest of the night, besides women?" Finn asked his buddy.

"I am going on a tour of NBC. Sorry, bro, I only got one ticket." Watson told him, ignoring his friend's comment.

"Whatever, I'm pretty tired anyway, I'm just gonna go chill at the hotel." Finn replied.

* * *

Watson was walking down the halls of NBC Universal as promised later that evening, completely in awe of everything. He had already seen Alec Baldwin and felt like the ultimate tourist, snapping pictures of everything in sight. He was walking backwards, trying to enclose something within his lens when he backed into someone. The girl let out a yelp and paced back a bit.

"I wasn't watching where I was going, I am so sorry." Watson apologized to the woman. She looked up at him and smiled. She was very pretty and had a blazing smile, but she seemed different in her own way. She was with another girl and guy and they looked like they were maybe siblings or something. This wasn't the type of woman he usually went for but what the heck, she was worth a try.

"Sergeant Derek Watson." He grinned, sticking out his hand. He loved to throw the Sergeant line in there, it was definitely a point in his favor.

"You're a Marine?" She gasped and then became more reserved. It seemed like she was thinking hard and then looked up at him, "Finn...Finn Hudson, do you know him?"

And then it hit him. She was brunette, she was petite, different, she had beautiful eyes and a gorgeous smile…she was Finn's girl.

"Rachel Berry?" He choked out.

**A/N: Okay, I'm back! It was kind of hard getting inspiration for this chapter since we are in a massive Glee drought right now. So, Finn and Rachel are in the same city again? And introducing Lance, Linda and Watson...Like 'em?/Don't like 'em?...Be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think!**

**Until next time!**


	20. Chapter 20

MIA Chapter 20

Linda and Lance stood about ten feet away, watching the exchange between Watson and Rachel.

"What is going on over there?" he asked his sister.

"I don't know, she seems upset…or confused" Linda said as she squinted, taking a scan of the situation.

"I don't like the look of that guy" Lance huffed.

"Lance, you don't even know what's…" Linda tried, until she realized Lance had left her.

Suddenly Lance appeared next to Rachel, "Hey, man, what's going on?" he asked Watson in his most manly voice possible.

"Uh, nothing much" Watson replied.

"Well then, I suggest you leave my girlfriend alone" Lance told Watson sternly, wrapping an arm around his cousin as Rachel stood there in silence.

"Your _girlfriend_?" Watson was barely able to choke out.

"Yeah, is there a problem?" Lance said, raising an eyebrow, knowing he got to the Marine.

"No, dude, I'm sorry, I didn't know she was taken" Watson replied, backing away from the couple. He was lost seconds later as he vanished out of the studio into the streets of New York.

"You didn't have to do that, Lance, I can take care of myself" Rachel told her cousin as Linda joined them.

"I don't know I had a bad feeling about him" Lance warned her.

"He was cute though." Linda offered, joining into the conversation, "He's a Marine, he couldn't have been that bad."

"Exactly, he was a Marine, and he could have known Finn!" Rachel explained as the threesome walked down the street back to their apartment.

"So?" Lance asked.

"So….because…." Rachel began, grasping for anything. But she couldn't put her thoughts into words. Rachel Berry, the queen of knowing what she wanted was so confused with her feelings at the moment. Externally, she was all systems go for Broadway and nothing could shake her. But her heart knew better, and that's why she was unable to give her cousin an answer.

Watson ran down the street back to their hotel after the confrontation with Rachel and her new man. Derek Watson, the relationship-less man, sighed to himself with sadness in his heart,

"This is going to break Finn's heart."

He burst into the lobby and began snapping his head in all directions, looking for his tall partner. Not seeing him, Watson hopped on to the escalator going up. Seconds later, he saw who he was looking for right in front of him, ridding the other escalator down.

"Finn!" Watson said with urgency, trying to catch his attention.

"Oh, hey buddy!" Finn waved as they were about to cross.

"Finn, I…." and just then he stopped, and he watched his best-friend looking content for the first time the whole trip. _I can't break him now, it's just not fair_, Watson thought, so he paused and then said "…I'll see you back up in the room."

Finn nodded as the escalators crossed and he went down to the lobby.

_No. He needs to know, he deserves to know. Then maybe he can get over her._

"Wait, Hudson!" Watson scrambled, getting off the up escalator and walking on the down escalator, hoping to catch Finn.

Unfortunately, seconds later, he spotted his friend getting closer, now riding the up escalator.

"Dude, I thought you said to meet at the room." Finn laughed as their paths crossed again.

"Oh my god, man, I meant when you were done. Get off at the top; I'll be up in two seconds." Watson grumbled.

When they finally made it to their room, Finn collapsed on his bed.

"What'd you want to tell me?" He asked.

Watson anchored himself on the dresser. _ Rip the bandage off, Watson, do it._ Derek turned away from Finn, almost as if he was trying to protect himself from the backfire, and said,

"I saw Rachel."

With those three words, Finn threw himself up from the bed and grabbed Watson's shoulder hard. He whipped his friend around, looked him straight in the eye and yelled, "YOU WHAT?"

"At NBC, I bumped into her, literally."

"How did you know it was…"

"It was her, dude. She was exactly how you described."

"Well, what did she say, what did you say?" Finn yelled, grasping for answers.

"She was about to say something when…."

"When what, what happened?" Finn said, breathing like he just ran a marathon.

Watson gulped under the fierce eyes of his partner, he felt like he was going to die. _Rip it off, Watson, do it. End the misery._

"DEREK, WHAT HAPPENED." Finn said sternly.

"Finn, her boyfriend showed up."

Waston exhaled weakly as he felt Finn's hand on his shoulder go limp. Finn backed up slowly and sat down on the bed, not taking his eyes off the carpet. Watson covered his eyes with his hand and crouched down.

"She…she has a boyfriend…already" Finn whispered.

Watson took his hand off his eyes and watched as his best friend tried to survive a broken heart that dismantled instantly. Finn began to cry, burying his eyes in his hands to shield them from the cruel, cruel world.

"I thought she loved me"

Derek moved from his crouch to a sitting position, leaning his head up against the wall. Suddenly, Finn stormed up and went into his bag. After a millisecond of searching, he revealed a small velvet box. Finn slowly walked toward Watson, dropped it in his lap, and then began pacing ever so slowly around the room.

Watson didn't have to open it to know what it was. "No…" he said with a cry, unable to bear this any longer.

"Open it." Finn instructed.

"Hudson, I know…"

"OPEN IT!" He screamed.

Watson's fingers trembled as he snapped open the box, and to his knowledge he saw a ring. But the second his eyes caught it, he began to cry. It was beautiful. There was something about that ring that meant so much more than hundreds of dollars of diamonds. It was a symbol of everything that Watson never believed in. It meant love, passion, sacrifice, faithfulness, it meant forever.

"I carried that thing with me for six months, waiting for the perfect time. But it never happened, Wat. And look at me now, I'm a complete disaster. Look what love did to me! You were right all along…love is a terrible, terrible, terrible thing."

**A/N: Mucho drama in this chapter! I am so very sorry for the length of time it took me to update, but ****I am back**** with some inspiration and there is no stopping me now. REVIEWS=THE BEST THING EVER! **


	21. Chapter 21

**MIA Chapter 21**

**Disclaimer: Glee, its characters, the all-new season four, and Call Me Maybe do not and never will belong to me. I do, however, own Watson and the Johnson Theater, because I'm pretty sure a Johnson Theater doesn't exist in New York, but if it does, please know that I don't own it.**

Rachel slammed the door to the apartment. She was home from a morning meeting with Mr. Schue and the rest of the cast and crew, and after getting bombarded with logistical information regarding opening night she just wanted to take a nap.

Tomorrow was her big day, her first show on Broadway. Her life's dream was going to be fulfilled in almost 24 hours, yet the reality of professional performance was really getting to her. Hours of tiring rehearsals, publicity events, meeting after meeting. At least that's what her mind was telling her.

"Rachel, is that you?" Linda said from her room.

"Yeah, I was just coming in to take a nap."

"A nap?" Linda exclaimed, "Tomorrow's the day! How can you sleep?"

"Oh," Rachel chuckled sarcastically, "It's possible."

The leading lady waltzed into her room and shut the door.

Her phone was still on the kitchen counter, and Linda snooped over to it.

Unlocking the screen, her heart broke at the sight in front of her.

Behind the apps, Rachel was snuggled into Finn in a large room, maybe a banquet hall even. He was wearing a white shirt and a black tie to her black dress. They had taken the self-shot with the intent of making goofy faces. Rachel had her tongue out ever so slightly and a funny expression on her face. Finn however was marveling down at her, love filling his eyes. He had no attention on the camera because all of his focus was on the girl wrapped in his arm.

And the camera captured all of it, love and silliness, two qualities that every relationship had to have.

"She never changed the picture. After all this time, she never changed it." Linda whispered to herself, staring at the photo.

After the scene in the hotel room last night, things were pretty quiet from there. The ring sat on the dresser in between them, as a constant reminder of what love could do to a person. At points during the night, Derek would flicker his eyes open to see Finn staring with tears in his eyes at the black velvet box. Watson fled the emotional situation quickly after that in the morning, like he normally did. He knew Finn needed some space, and he needed a drink because something about love was getting to him.

So Watson found an open bar across the street where there was only one other patron who was drinking at 10 in the morning. Leaving one seat in between them, he looked over and nodded as a greeting.

"Morning." Watson said.

"It certainly is." The man said with a chuckle.

"So what brings you to the bar in the a.m.?"

"I have a big day coming up tomorrow. Everything is riding on it." The figure replied, fidgeting with his drink. This allowed Watson to see the ring on his left hand sparkle against the glass.

"You're married?" He posed the question, hoping for an elaboration.

"Newlywed." The man clarified, "The love of my life, finally everything came together."

"Congrats, man." Watson said sincerely, "My friend Finn just broke up with his girl, or sort of. She left to go be on Broadway and he didn't want to stand in the way of her dream."

"I know." The man said plainly.

"What, you know?!" Watson asked, confused.

"I'm the Broadway director, Will Schuester. I was Finn and Rachel's glee club coach in high school. They were my two favorite students of all time." He said slowly, clinking his glass.

"You…you know them….you're their director?" Watson tried to put together, amazed that this was happening.

"I knew them better than anyone. I watched every facet of their relationship evolve. From sophomores in high school to now." Will replied.

"Sophomores in….that's a hell of a long time." Watson marveled, "Do you think that they should have broken up?"

"They always find their way back to each other." Will pointed out, "I see no difference now."

"Sir, he is messed up. These emotions with Rachel have finally brought him to the breaking point. I don't know if he can handle it again."

Will stood up and patted his drinking buddy on the back, "You must have never seen them together then. All they need is one look. Did you know they once got back together during a performance on stage during Nationals? One look and bang…it's Finchel." Will finished, using his hands to highlight the new vocabulary for Watson.

"Finchel, what the hell is that?"

"Think about it." Will smiled, "And by the way, our show opens tomorrow night at eight in the Johnson Theater. Here are two tickets."

"That's incredible, thank you." Derek said, looking at the tickets in his hand, "And if I could ask you for one more favor…."

Suddenly Rachel's phone rang. Linda almost threw it across the room, as it startled her. She took it as a sign from the heavens that snooping through your cousin's phone isn't a very good thing to do.

Taking a second to glance at the number, it identified as being in New York City.

"Maybe it's an important call from work" She assumed.

"Hello, this is Rachel Berry's phone." Linda answered politely.

"Hi, who is speaking?" the voice on the other end asked.

"I'm her cousin, Linda. And who is this?"

"Wait, so you aren't Rachel?"

"No, I'm sorry; I can take a messa…"

"No!" the voice said instantly.

"Whoa, okay." Linda backed off, a little frightened.

"You're exactly who I need to talk to."

"And why is that?"

"My name is Derek Watson and I…."

"Wait, Watson, weren't you that Marine we saw at NBC?"

"You were there with Rachel?" Watson asked, continuing the line of questions.

"Yeah, Rachel and I were there, along with my brother."

"And Rachel's boyfriend." Watson clarified.

Linda chuckled a bit, "No, my brother was just pretending to be her boyfriend so that you would step off."

"Seriously?" Watson almost cried into the phone.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but she isn't looking to be in a relationship…"

"Even with Finn Hudson?!" Watson pushed.

"How do you know about that?" Linda asked, confused.

"I'm Finn's best friend. We're here on a business trip."

Linda almost dropped the phone, "Finn is here, in New York?"

"Yes, and he needs to be with her. He is a disaster right now."

"Oh my god, so is Rachel. She keeps blaming it on her job, but I know better." Linda said, "I'll tell her to call him and they can get things straightened out."

"No, that's not going to work." Watson breathed, "He hates the word Rachel right now. He can't use words, but if he sees her, oh if he sees her. Those two, all they need is one look and they'll forget everything and fall back in love. One look and bang…Finchel."

"Finchel?"

"Finn and Rachel." Watson smiled into the phone.

"I like the sound of that, Derek." Linda smiled.

Now, Watson usually corrected the ladies, because Watson was the more badass name that kept him mysterious. But there was something about the way Linda said his first name that got him.

Maybe instead of one look, all he needed was one phone call.

He remembered her standing next to Rachel during the tour and he thought she was actually more beautiful than the Broadway star, but don't tell Finn that. Watson found himself now in a position that he rarely was in: asking a girl out, sort of.

"So to discuss this Finchel plan, would you….umm….like to meet me for coffee. I know I barely just met you..."

"And this is crazy…" Linda said playfully.

"Oh please, that is such an old song!" He laughed, "I can't believe this was actually popular."

"But here's my number." She kept along, as she told him her phone number, both of them laughing.

There was a silence after that,

"Go ahead, you can say it." Watson said with a small laugh.

"So call me, maybe." Linda giggled, hanging up the phone immediately after that. Then, she took a moment to figure out if what had just happened was actually real. Was she really attempting to get her cousin back together with Finn with the help of a Marine that she thought was gorgeous, who pretty much asked her out with the help of some Carly Rae Jepsen lyrics?

Why yes, yes she was. 

**A/N: I know I said that nothing could stop me now, but actually that thing was college. And it stopped me. But, I found some time in between studying to let the creative juices flow. Got some things developing between Linda and Watson…or should we say Derek. Like it? I hope the Call Me Maybe thing wasn't too lame. I actually wrote Watson's line without any intention of that and as soon as I realized it I was like, "screw it, let's just do it." Haha. Reviews=Best thing ever.**


	22. Chapter 22

MIA Chapter 22

Linda sat at a café table, aimlessly scrolling through her phone. It hit her that someone had bumped her table, causing her to jump a little. She glanced up only to see a familiar Marine suit with the nametag "Watson" so neatly etched in it.

As soon as her eyes met his, he flashed a quick smile and sat down.

"How did you know who I was?" she asked.

"I remember you."

Linda let a small blush show, until she recomposed herself and got to business, "So, about this plan for my cousin…"

"Exactly, Operation Bang…Finchel." Watson began, and then paused, instantly disliking the sound of that. The two exchanged eyes and began to laugh.

"I think we should change the name." Linda said, hysterically laughing.

Watson blushed, "Okay, okay, anyway, like I said, he needs to see her, he needs to see his Rachel at her best and he'll fall in love all over again. Any ideas?"

"There is only one thing that Rachel Berry can do better than anyone, and that is sing. Her Broadway debut is tomorrow, but I think that was pretty much why they broke up."

"Who cares, if Rachel is up there living her dream, singing like an angel, and looking like an angel, do you really think that Finn won't come around?"

"I guess you're right, but the show opens tomorrow, you're not going to get ti…"

"Way ahead of you" Watson smirked as he flashed the two tickets he had received earlier from Mr. Schue.

"How the hell did you get those?" Linda scoffed.

"I know a guy."

"Well how are you going to get Finn there?"

"I have a plan."

"Well don't you always, Derek." Linda said, barely noticing the grin on Watson's face when she said his name.

"Hello, is this Finn?"

"Yeah, is this…?"

"Finn, its Mr. Schue."

Finn smiled at the sound of his mentor's voice, "Mr. Schue, how have you been."

"I actually ran into your buddy today, Watson."

"Oh my, I'm so sorry." Finn apologized.

"Mr. Schue laughed, "No, he was a good guy, you know, I gave him some tickets to see our show tomorrow."

Finn groaned, "Yeah, I don't know if I'll be there, still some rough feelings…"

Mr. Schue interjected, "Finn, it's a disaster. Emma and I are constantly fighting, April is being a diva, Bryan isn't following his cues, Rachel quit…"

"Rachel quit the show?"

Mr. Schue took a deep breathe, "Yeah, she said she needed some space, she wasn't ready for this."

"Oh."

"The show starts tomorrow, and I don't know, I'd really like it if you'd come. I could really use the support."

Finn thought. It wasn't like he was going to see Rachel or something.

"Sure, I'll be there for you, Mr. Schue."

"Thanks, Finn, it really means a lot."

Rachel was getting prepared in her dressing room.

A knock on her door was revealed to be Linda.

"Oh, Rachel, you look stunning!"

"Thanks." Rachel said, "It's just a surreal moment right now."

"We all wanted to give you these," Linda said, showing a bouquet of flowers, "It's tradition, of course."

Rachel smiled, already having a vase prepared, but secretly wishing that her flowers came from a certain Marine who was no longer in her life.

"Well I better get going, break a leg!" Linda scattered to leave the dressing room. It was showtime.

Watson and Hudson were in the back left of the audience, cleverly hidden from any Berry relatives.

Finn was staring at the playbill, where the star "Rachel Berry" was printed way too many times for his liking. It was even painful to read her name.

Derek noticed and said, "Sucks that she quit so close to the end, they didn't even have enough time to re-print the bills."

"Mhm." Finn replied, unenthusiastically in his white shirt and black tie.

Derek then saw Linda tiptoe back to her seat near the front. Watson quickly stood up to get her attention, and Linda looked back at him, nodded and smiled. He gave her his most flirtatious wink, aware now that all systems were go for Operation Bang…Finchel…

He should really stop saying that.

The show got underway, and as the plot developed and thickened, Finn was quite proud of Mr. Schue. April seemed to get along with everyone and Bryan had his lines down to a tee…

And then the stage went dark.

What emerged from the spotlight was none other than Miss Rachel Barbra Berry, in an elegant silver gown.

Derek immediately glanced over at Finn, whose mouth was agape.

"She's…she's still here."

Derek switched his eyes from stage to friend, noticing the change in Finn's eyes. As soon as Rachel belted out her first note, Finn was in a trance. Everyone was right, she sang like an angel. She owned the stage, and Finn tracked her every movement.

She took his breath away; in fact, she took every one's breath away. As the song ended, the audience rose in a collective wave of clapping, cheering, whistling, and screams.

The smile on her face could not have been bigger as she took her bow, and it finally hit Finn. Even though she wasn't with him anymore, she got to finally live her dream as a Broadway star and because of that, he wasn't so mad anymore. This…angel…was a star and she didn't belong in California in his house, she belonged right here on Broadway every night for the rest of her life. But he loved her even more now than ever before.

The crowd settled and sat down, Finn looking Derek directly in the eye.

"That." he pointed to the stage where Rachel was getting ready for the next scene, "That is my girl."

"I know, buddy." Derek smiled, "I know."

Bang…Finchel.

At the end of the show, people were leaving the seats, and as Finn went to join them, Watson grabbed his arm.

"What?" Finn spun around.

"This." Watson instructed his friend to grab the paper in his hand.

It was a backstage pass for tonight's performance.

"How…how did you get this?" Finn questioned.

Watson grinned, "I know a guy. Now go get your girl, man."

"I can't, she…she belongs here."

"She belongs with you, buddy." Watson reiterated, "Did you see the way you looked at her, it was like magic, it was true love."

"Since when do you know anything about love?"

Watson took a quick glance at Linda, who was passionately talking to Rachel's dads.

"I don't know, all I know is that you need to go get your girl."

Finn simply nodded and jogged to the back of the stage, where after showing his pass, he found himself in front of a door with the name Rachel Berry enclosed in a gold star, where it belonged.

"_Who am I kidding, she is a star, she needs to be here. I can't hold her back." _Finn thought to himself, and as he turned to leave the door opened.

Not surprisingly, it was Rachel who emerged from the door.

He was now face to face with the love of his life, who was now face to face with the love of her life for the first time in months.

**A/N: Who doesn't love a good cliffhanger! Anyway, architecture school is majorly getting in the way of everything I know and love (besides architecture) so here is a random free moment where I was able to write this. Props go out to reviewer Monica…your reviews really inspired me to get another chapter underway, so I hope you enjoyed! And as always, reviews are much appreciated!**


	23. Chapter 23

MIA Chapter 23

"Hello." Rachel said simply, breaking the silence. She was holding a bouquet of red roses, and her eyes were locked on Finn's.

"Hello." he replied, trying to overcome the massive amount of energy it took to breathe now that he was in the midst of Miss Berry. He only said one word, unsure of where to take the conversation next. He didn't know if he should apologize, was he supposed to apologize for letting her go? He only knew that he was so in love with the woman in front of him, and he didn't want to screw it up.

"Did…did you enjoy the performance?" Rachel went on to ask. She tilted her head down and sort of shuffled her feet. The ultra-confident actress was a completely different story around Finn, and everyone knew that.

"You were incredible. The audience could have clapped for you forever." He said honestly.

Rachel released a small smile and she looked back up into his eyes, "If that were true, why are you not still out there clapping?"

Finn immediately had an answer prepared, "Because I wanted to be back here with you."

That was obviously a good answer, because Rachel fumbled with her roses and her face went blank. It was completely silent backstage; everyone had gone out to party, only those two remained. Rachel did not say anything back.

Finn took it as a sign to keep going.

"Rachel, when I found you crying at the Seattle airport months ago, I was originally just helping out a friend, but as time went on, it was clear that it was a sign that we were supposed be together, you know, it was a re-do for our relationship." He took a deep breath, "I had never been happier than the past few months with you and I know it was a mistake to let you go now, because seeing you on that stage…you're perfect and only someone insane would give you up."

Rachel stood stiff as a board; her huge, gorgeous eyes remained zoned into his. Finn didn't know what he was saying; he was truly letting his heart do the talking.

"And now with me here in New York, it's another sign. I don't want to push my luck with these re-dos so I'm going to make it alright for once and for all. Rachel Berry, I have loved you for an insanely long time, you are the only woman that I have ever loved and the only woman that I ever want to love. I want us to work and I don't care if I'm in California and you're right here on Broadway where you shine. You heard me say at the wedding that I think I want to marry you… but Rachel, now I am sure. Will you, Rachel Barbra Berry, marry me and do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

It wasn't in some picturesque location, or an expensive restaurant, and he didn't get down on one knee. There was no fancy flash-mob that would gain millions of eyes on YouTube. Right now, there were only two sets of eyes, completely entranced with one another.

Finn stood, hopelessly awaiting her answer. Rachel was crying now, and Finn knew better than anyone that it was her go-to emotion. She dropped the roses and began to furiously nod.

Finn could not believe his eyes. He began to smile and asked for clarification, "Yes, is that a yes?"

Rachel's tears were met with her gorgeous laugh, "Of course it's a yes."

The two closed the distance for a much-needed hug. Rachel had craved the contact as much as Finn had and she missed being wrapped in her man's arms. Their lips naturally met next, and feeling her soft mouth overtop his put a spark to that electricity that always buzzed around them.

"I love you so much, Finn," she cried once they broke apart.

He wiped her tears with his finger gently, "I love you two. I had a ring, um…but something happened to it…."

"It's right here, bro." A voice came from behind him.

Finn turned, still keeping Rachel in his grasp, to see Watson holding the velvet box that Finn had given him when he had the meltdown a few nights ago.

Finn walked over to his best friend, who handed over the box with his left hand. His right hand was intertwined with Linda's, who was tearing up over the absolute precious moment she had just witnessed.

Finn just shook his head and graciously grabbed his friend's shoulder, "Thank you so much, man."

"Anytime." Watson said with his usual grin, and Linda looked at him with affection as she said, "We'll let you two have a moment." The pair walked into the darkness.

Rachel looked a bit confused, seeing her cousin holding hands with…that guy from the NBC tour? She was about to ask Finn, who immediately shot it down,

"I'll explain later, right now I want to make it official." He said, sliding the beautiful diamond on her ring finger.

"Oh my goodness, Finn, it's gorgeous." she said, admiring her new engagement ring.

Finn grabbed her hand and reached it up to kiss the brand new ring on her finger. Then, engulfing her in another hug, he kissed the top of his fiancé's head, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you two," Rachel spoke and she looked up at him with that infectious smile, "But now we're right where we should be. Everything is alright."

**A/N: Well, Finchel is engaged! About time, huh? As you may be able to tell, we are winding down on the story here, maybe two or so more chapters to go. I've had a blast writing this and sharing it with you all, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter (REVIEW PLEASE!) and look out for the ending chapters of Make it Alright (did you catch the title reference in this chapter?). Thank you and enjoy the rest of your holiday season!**


	24. AUTHORS NOTE

AUTHORS NOTE

It has almost been a year since I updated this story. With college and jobs and of course, Cory Monteith/Finn Hudson's death it has been hard to churn out a Glee story. I feel absolutely awful about it because i have left my loyal readers down, the TV show that I loved down, and this fic which means so much to me down. That being said, I really want to give this story it's proper ending so if there is anyone out there who still has interest...PLEASE let me know.

You all have been so good to this story so far, I really want to thank you for your patience.

-Bettakappa


	25. Chapter 24

"And welcome back. It is an honor to have our next guest because she's so busy it's nearly impossible to book her. She's a Tony Award winning actress, a best-selling author, and has a new album coming out next year. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome the beautiful and talented, Rachel Berry."

Rachel walked out of the hallway and into the studio as she heard her name being called. She took a second to glance into the audience, where the studio was in standing-ovation formation applauding her entrance. This made her smile even more as she waved and hugged Sandy, the television host.

"Rachel, it's so great to see you, how are you?"

"I'm great, Sandy, thanks for having me on, life's been busy but it's been absolutely wonderful."

"Busy, of course, you won a Tony for you're leading role in your high-school teacher's musical, is that right?"

"Yeah." Rachel nodded, "Will Schuester was like another father to me and at his wedding actually he gave me a script and told me he'd love to have me on board. It was a wonderful experience, you know, Broadway had been my dream since I was in elementary school so standing up there accepting a Tony for my work was unbelievable."

"The show closed a year ago, any plans to move onto a new show?"

"No." Rachel laughed, "Broadway was a rush but you know it's been a sacrifice. Finn had to fly in from California every other weekend and-"

Sandy cut her off at the topic of relationships, "Finn...that's your husband."

Rachel couldn't help the grin that took over her face, "The love of my life."

"You were on Broadway for almost a year, how did you two keep your relationship strong?"

"Well, Finn and I dated in high school, he was actually in glee club with me, and um, we lost touch from college on so after we reconnected years later we were almost inseparable. Me doing Broadway was always sort of a tense topic for us, but he's amazing and let me follow my dream. And what works is that he's not only my husband, but my best friend so even though doing long-distance was hard it was so so worth it."

"And you moved back to L.A., so he must love that."

"Yeah, I mean after the show was over I knew my heart belonged in California with my husband. What's great about L.A. too is that I can work on my album with some great producers and record labels over there and be close to my family."

"Expanding family." Sandy was sure to add, "How are your twins?"

"Audrey and Aaron are just the greatest, they're almost six months old now. Audrey has the cutest gurgling noises so she's already testing out those pipes of hers. And Aaron is big and tough like his daddy, so I know Finn sees football in the future." Rachel gushed.

Sandy showed a picture of the Berry-Hudson twins on the screen and the crowd cooed and applauded. Then the slide changed to one of Finn holding Aaron with one arm and his free arm wrapped tightly around Rachel. She was holding her daughter while she rested her head against his as they both wore adoring faces at their children. The studio audience absolutely went insane and Rachel smiled, internally adoring her family as well.

"Well I'm so glad to have you here, thanks for stopping by when you came back to New York."

"My pleasure, Sandy, my whole family is in town for my cousin, Linda's wedding to Finn's friend, Derek, so I'm gonna try and get my kids to fall in love with New York at a young age." Rachel joked.

"Look out for her solo album next summer, it's gonna be a winner I promise! Thank you Rachel Berry!" Sandy announced as the show cut to commercial.

* * *

Rachel was coming down from the high of appearing on television when she walked back to her dressing room. When she opened the door, Finn and a chic double stroller were waiting for her in the small room.

She instantly ran and jumped into Finn's big and strong arms. He hugged her tightly and met her for a much needed kiss.

"Honey?! I thought you weren't flying in until tomorrow?" Rachel said in disbelief.

Finn gave her a classic crooked smile, "The three of us agreed, we couldn't wait to see you."

Rachel went to the stroller and picked up Aaron (Audrey was asleep), "Well I missed you all so much."

"I watched the interview on the TV here, my wife was pretty great." Finn said after she sat Aaron back down and the two sat on the sofa.

"Well it's easy to talk about myself and my family and how great my life is." Rachel laughed.

"We do have a pretty great life." Finn reflected, wrapping his arm around his wife.

Rachel suddenly sat up and grabbed two bottles of water, throwing one at Finn, who was obviously confused.

"To Jesse St. James." Rachel raised her...water bottle. And now Finn was seriously confused.

"Jesse? What…"

"If Jesse hadn't abandoned me in the Seattle airport three years ago, none of this would have happened. No flight to L.A., no getting my stuff from Jesse's house, no holding hands with you at the mall, no kissing you in the driveway, no saying I-love-you at your mothers house, no chance for Mr. Schue to give me my big break, no fight that broke us up, no engagement backstage at my first show, no wedding on the beach, no Tony award, no Aaron, no Audrey, nothing. My whole world would be different if you didn't show up to make it alright."

Finn nodded graciously, moving in for a quick kiss, and after it was finished Rachel was still stuck on the issue, "Who would have thought, though, after all this time we'd finally end up together?"

Finn weighed the answer in his head, "Well you said it yourself in high school, I was your first love and you wanted more than anything for me to be your last….I think this is exactly where we're supposed to be."

"It took some time, though." she laughed, "It was a roller coaster."

"Well love does crazy things to people. I mean Derek Watson, of all people is getting married this weekend." Finn took the chance to jab his best friend.

Rachel stood up and slung her hand in her husband's, "I love you, Finn."

Finn bent slightly to place a kiss on her head, "I love you, too, Rachel."

**A/N: And that, my friends, is where we end Make it Alright almost three years later. This was my first fanfiction ever written (and the last one I've finished haha) so I just want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this story. I know my updated was shaky at best, it was all your encouragement that pushed me to give this fic a proper ending. I hope it was as fun for you as it was for me. **

**-Bettakappa.**


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